Shadows to Shadows
by Zaleone
Summary: Following his 5th year at Hogwarts School, Harry Potter disappears from both the wizarding and muggle worlds without warning. What happens when he suddenly returns a changed man six years later? Eventually, this will be a Lucius Malfoy x Harry Potter.
1. Part I

Okay, this is it. I have had it with this story lingering about in the back of my mind so I am now re-writing it for probably the third time and stubbornly sticking with it until it is finished in a way I actually _like_. I am so, so sorry it has taken **so** long but to those of you who have stuck with it, you have my eternal thanks and I dedicate it to all of you.

Disclaimer – I do not own Harry Potter and am not making any kind of a profit from writing this story.

Summary – Following his 5th year at Hogwarts School, Harry Potter disappears from both the wizarding and muggle worlds without warning. What happens when he suddenly returns a changed man six years later? Eventually, this will be a Lucius Malfoy x Harry Potter pairing though it will be slow building.

Warnings – A major alternative universe storyline, slash, original characters, etc. Basically anything my very odd mind can come with to make the story twist and turn the way I want it to.

/ Blah, blah, blah. / - Parseltongue.

'_Blah, blah, blah.'_ – Thoughts.

Without further ado, read, enjoy & review! ^_^

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**Shadows to Shadows**

_by, Zaleone_

**Part I**

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Boy…

Harry James Potter…

The boy-who-lived…

The savior of the wizarding world…

There were many titles he'd been given in his short life but not a single one had ever felt like _his_.

Harry was adored by thousands of strangers for something he couldn't even remember consciously _doing_, having been barely a year old at the time. It was rather sad, really, if one was to think it through. The only reason, the _only_ reason, he was even alive today was because of his _mother's_ sacrifice…not his. He hadn't done a bloody thing and everyone believed that a soon to be sixteen-year-old would soon defeat one of the greatest forces of dark magic the magical world had seen.

Not so much as sad as pathetic, really.

As his thoughts traveled down this all too familiar path, Harry sighed deeply.

These thoughts had haunted him since the day Hagrid told him why everyone knew his name.

Regardless of popular belief with a certain surly potion master, he did not enjoy the 'fame and glory' that came with his name. The so-called 'fame' was a double standard, only going so far in his favor before it would blow up in his face. He supposed he owed Rita Skeeter in a way, as she had proven that very thing in a surprisingly efficient way by writing all those ridiculous articles of hers. People, regardless of who they were, could turn on you in the blink of an eye if you didn't live up to their expectations. All they cared for was their desperate hope that when the day came, he would defeat Lord Voldemort and they would survive his second rising when the war broke into the streets.

When this task was finished, he would be cast out of the wizarding world like a leper.

To doubt this would be to ignore common sense and the self-preservation every creature on this earth possessed, magical or not.

Only one person had proved this wrong and that was Remus Lupin, the werewolf absolutely determined to be a presence in his life since third year but especially so in these weeks after Sirius' fall.

He was slowly beginning to accept the loss but his heart ached at the thought of not knowing his godfather as well as he'd have liked to…of losing one of the last connections to his parents before having any _time_ to know him. For this, he wanted revenge. For losing one of the few connections to his family he had left…he wanted revenge. Voldemort had played a major part in the events at the Department of Mysteries, however, Bellatrix LeStrange had been the one to curse Sirius, sending him into the veil and for this he would kill her himself.

Another sigh escaped him.

He was tired.

Tired of being the damnable boy-who-lived, tired of losing everything and having to rebuild it only to have it taken away again. Most of all, however, he was tired of hiding all that he was. Tired of not being able to be himself. It seemed that throughout his existence he hadn't ever truly said anything that was in his own words, his own perspective…merely what the other party _wanted_ to hear from him.

The mask he had come to wear day in and day out was one crafted from his early years as a child with the Dursley family and simply perfected in his years at Hogwarts.

To survive in this world, one had to cope to the changes life brought about with little to no disagreement.

The fifteen-year-old boy had learned in his childhood what others learned in their early thirties if they were intelligent.

He allowed people to se only what he _wanted_ them to see. No more, no less. No one in the world, wizarding, muggle or otherwise, knew what he truly thought and he liked the idea of keeping it that way. His mask was almost impenetrable and his emotions were the key to his strength, whether they were under control or not.

Harry made sure this mask never, not even for an instant, slipped.

The only true fear he held anymore was the fear that someone someday might see through it. At times he clung to that fear, that feeling of potential helplessness. It gave him an escape from the monotonous way he viewed life and it also reminded him that he was still human, regardless of how stoic he had become.

In his years at Hogwarts, Harry's views on life were altered but they never really changed.

You couldn't depend on anyone but yourself.

It was a simple concept.

Every creature that lived in this world care only about two things…their own well-being and the continuation of their own kind. Harry saw this often, especially in those he had once called 'friend'. Sure, they were decent and helped him when he asked but only when it was convenient for _them_ or if they wanted something from him. Fourth year taught him this as well and, in truth, he now wished they all would've kept their opinions of him and had just left him the hell alone. He didn't need them and they knew it, thus the reason they came crawling back at the end of the year.

In the Tri-Wizard Tournament, he depended on only two souls and one was a lost cause.

His faith in Dumbledore, at the time, was untouched.

The other, he'd been surprised to find, was Severus Snape. Yes, the one and only resident bat and potion master of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He'd come to the realization that he greatly depended on the potion master every single year and hadn't even seen it until after he returned from the fiasco at the Department of Mysteries. Snape was the one person in that entire school that never once judged him for his fame or what he was supposed to do and even though he was a snarky old bastard, Harry was thankful for the man's presence in his life.

Without intending to do it, Snape had become a sort of father figure to Harry before the young wizard even knew it.

It Snape were to ever found out, the young Gryffindor was sure the man would have a coronary.

A soft rapping noise made him blink out of his thoughts, his eyes moving to look towards the window where a large bird was perched on the outside edge. He raised an eyebrow at it, idly waving a hand and making the window and bars disappear from the frame to allow the bird entry to his room.

It came to land on the nightstand beside him, letting out a soft, almost musical, coo as it did.

Harry wasn't able to help the smile that broke out on his face, absentmindedly returning the bars and glass to the frame as he turned to the creature. The bird wasn't an owl, that much was obvious, but he couldn't quite place what kind it was though he was sure he had seen one before. Its feathers were a bright red and the bird itself was quite large, meeting his eyes evenly while standing on the nightstand. Crimson eyes regarded him coolly for a moment before it offered its beak and Harry carefully took the letter from it.

With one last quizzical look at the familiar creature, he broke the seal and opened the letter.

It read:

_~ Dear Mr. Potter,_

_It is my pleasure to personally inform you that you have been accepted into Neforia, an academy focused on the exotic teachings of less known arts. Wizards commonly call what we teach dark arts, however, I implore you not to let this deter you for wizarding kind has forgotten many things. Should you decide to attend, you shall receive a twelve-year education built on your strengths and weaknesses._

_Neforia is very selective about what students attend and you must keep in mind that to be invited to study and train here is a great privilege not many receive. Here, you shall study all things available to you from Necromancy to Divination to Dragonology._

_I look forward to meeting you._

_Sakura Cooney_

_Headmistress of Neforia Academy ~_

Harry blinked once, read it again then shook his head. _'…Is this some kind of joke?'_

A sudden chuckle startled him, his head snapping up and eyes focusing on a man casually leaning against the door to his bedroom…a man that had _not_ been there only a few minutes ago. The man was tall, well over six feet, with jet-black hair that strangely seemed to glow scarlet in the dim moonlight that lighted his room in the late hour. Dark brown skin could be seen in the light as he looked the man up and down, panic taking hold of him until now familiar crimson eyes met his own in amusement.

He stared. _'The bird...no way.'_

Another chuckle erupted from the stranger. "Indeed, Mr. Potter. I am 'the bird' as you so eloquently put it."

Harry slowly stood from the bed, not taking his eyes from the man. "Who are you?" he demanded.

"Ah, I do apologize." The man bowed his head slightly. "My name is Daija; I am an instructor at Neforia Academy."

This did little to pacify Harry. "What the hell is going on? Why are you here?"

"Language, Mr. Potter," Daija reprimanded lightly, thoroughly enjoying the blank stare he received in return. "Perhaps you would care to sit down? I'm afraid our meeting will be somewhat time consuming."

Against better judgment, Harry complied and waited impatiently.

Daija seemed very pleased at him for listening. "As you've undoubtedly gathered from the vague letter, Neforia is an academy who primarily teaches the so-called 'dark arts' and a very selective one at that."

"I've never heard of it," came the expected retort.

"I am well aware of that," Daija countered with a smirk. "We like to keep our presence on a need to know basis, what with our wizarding counterparts and their rather…limited views. Neforia is located in the arctic in an underground city called Puther. Following me so far?"

He slowly nodded, still not understanding in full as the bird continued…

"Puther is a city of both light and dark magic. As ironic and cliché as it sounds, there is a light side to the city and then there's a darker side to it. The academies function as enforcers, ensuring that peace is kept within the citizens of the city. Neforia is the academy of the darker, less relatable magic while its counterpart, a school called Jetton, studies magic much like what you have been learning in Hogwarts though far more advanced and not _quite_ as biased."

Harry shook his head, confused. "And I've been accepted because…?"

The smirk remained. "One with your standing and power does not go unnoticed in any magical circle, young Harry, and Neforia is crafted from magic. It is sentient and it is the academy itself that decides a student's enrollment. Had the events of these past two years not occurred, you would no doubt be speaking with a representative from Jetton at this moment but many things have shifted in that time. Your name appeared on the roster only a few weeks ago and as this is not a common thing for new arrivals, Headmistress Cooney has decided to enroll you a bit early in order to introduce you to our world."

No really knowing what to say, Harry looked away as his mind traveled in twelve different directions.

"Neforia offers a great many things if you're ambition is to understand, Harry," Daija stated, crossing his arms as he observed the youth closely. "You need to decide tonight, before I leave." He held up a hand to cut off the expected argument, having had this conversation many times in his career. "I know it's all very soon and decidedly vague on information but we cannot have you, or _anyone_ for that matter, knowing too much about our world unless you wish to become a part of it."

Harry's eyes narrowed. "Let me guess. In order to keep your secret, I have to take a wizarding oath."

The smirk returned once more and the boy's eyes shot to his mouth as his fangs were in plain sight at the action. _'Hmm. He's smarter than I realized,'_ Daija thought, shaking his head as he answered, "No, no. A blood oath is the precaution we take. Much more powerful and far more effective than the word of a _wizard_."

Emerald eyes took the man in carefully now. "How do I know this isn't some kind of trick?"

"You don't," came the blunt response as he shrugged. "But what do your instincts tell you?"

As he considered, Harry hated to admit the man was right but he hit the proverbial nail on the head even if it made no sense from a sane point of view. This…Daija…did not look like a teacher and the dark arts were supposed to be forbidden…at least on some level…weren't they?

"Harry, you really need to study Occlumency," came the dry observation. "I can hear every thought in your head."

Jade eyes glared at him but Daija was unaffected.

"To answer your unspoken question: Yes, the dark arts are frowned upon by wizarding kind but the wizarding world hardly has the best point of view regarding magic as you've surely noticed by now." He noted how the boy's eyes narrowed at his words. "I've been one of many to observe your past, Harry, and I know of your façade and what you lead those around you to believe." That intense gaze broke from his own and his eyes softened significantly, remembering how confused _he_ was at first when he was told all of this many years ago. "Neforia can offer knowledge you want and need, Harry, not only for this petty war of wizards but for yourself. For when you decide what it is you want to do when all is said and done. All you have to do is say yes."

Harry cautiously looked back up into that almost eerie, though strangely comforting, crimson gaze and saw nothing but honesty and support. How did this one man, a perfect stranger to him, have such an effect on him when he didn't even trust Dumbledore anymore? But…then again…if he did trust his instincts this one time…then maybe…

A random thought broke the train and he smirked, looking at the man again. "Phoenix."

Daija blinked. "Excuse me?"

The boy looked amused at having caught him off guard. "The bird."

He laughed when it finally registered what he was saying. "Yes, Harry, I am a Phoenix Youkai, or demon in the common wording." Silence descended once more and Daija knew the boy had decided. "Your decision then?"

A deep sigh escaped Harry as he knew full well he could be walking straight into a trap and possibly right into the hands of Lord Voldemort but the feelings this man were giving him were ones of trusting and warmth. He found himself wanting to trust the phoenix though a cold voice that reminded him of Mad-Eye oddly enough was screaming at him that this wasn't one of his brightest ideas.

'_Hell with it. This is my choice.'_ He nodded once. "Yes."

The man clapped his hands almost gleefully. "Very wise choice, young Mr. Potter." Without a warning, he grabbed the owl cage that contained a, until now, sleeping snowy white owl and grinned at the boy. "Shall we take our leave then?"

Harry grabbed his wand before standing from the bed. "What about my trunk and-"

"Don't worry, we shall take care of everything and be sure your personal valuables are returned to you," Daija reassured, wrapping an arm around the boy's shoulders.

Expecting the pull of a portkey, Harry was pleasantly surprised and somewhat baffled when he glanced down and saw he was literally disappearing before his own eyes. A warm wind caressed his face and he looked up towards the ceiling only to see a blur of color. Feeling a little dizzy, he closed his eyes and simply enjoyed the feel of the wind though it ended all too soon for his liking when the arm slipped from his shoulders.

Blinking, he glanced up at the phoenix.

Daija raised an eyebrow, amused. "I'll venture a guess to say you enjoyed that."

He shrugged. "It's better than a portkey," he pointed out.

"I shall wholeheartedly agree you with there, my young friend," Daija chuckled before widely gesturing in front of them. "May I be the first to welcome you to Neforia Academy."

Harry looked ahead of where they stood and nearly fainted at the magnificent sight that met him. _'Whoa.'_ Daija hadn't been kidding when he said 'underground'. The cavern like walls stretched on for miles and he eyed them warily, a little fearful of a cave in though, logically, he knew there must've been _some_ kind of magic guarding against that very thing.

It was only a few seconds before his attention shifted, focusing on what Daija had been referring to.

They stood in the lush green courtyard of a massive castle that was undoubtedly bigger than Hogwarts.

It did not have the same warmth and inviting aura that the founders' castle had. Instead, it came across to him as a more military-based structure. It gave off the feeling of strength, pride and order as the grounds were impeccably kept with not even a blade of grass out of place. The walls of the castle itself were the darkest coal color he had ever seen and the jagged gothic style of the architecture fit surprisingly well.

Set into the side of what looked to be an underground mountain, this place made the word beautiful seem obsolete.

"It is not as intimidating as it looks."

Harry spared a glance back at the phoenix before, again, looking at the castle. _'Perfect. What have I managed to get myself into this time?'_ The fact that he wasn't now facing Voldemort was a shockingly small comfort at the moment.

The phoenix laid a hand on his shoulder, gaining his attention. "Come along now, the Headmistress awaits us."

With no more than a nod, he followed the phoenix and was barely aware of Hedwig's annoyed hooting at being awoken in such a manner and then promptly ignored. Shock was currently running laps in the space that was, unfortunately, his brain at the moment though Harry did notice he felt a sort of pull towards the fierce looking academy. He wasn't scared of what was inside, regardless of what common sense was practically screaming at him, and neither did that instinctive alarm go off in his head at being in such a foreign place.

This place felt…well, safe.

Safer than Hogwarts.

Although after spending five years in a school where one was constantly under attack by a raving psychopath, one would expectantly not feel particularly safe in aforementioned school.

Harry looked up at Daija, trying to focus on what was happening. "The Headmistress…what is she like?"

The phoenix shrugged. "Well, Harry, she is very good at what she does. Stern but understanding, if you will."

He nodded, continuing to gaze at his surroundings.

Large statues loomed in the entrance and following hallways…dragons, werewolves, unicorns and practically every other creature he could think of as well as a few he didn't know. Several portraits greeted him throughout the corridors and Harry found this place more confusing than Hogwarts was in first year. All too soon, they came to a dead end hallway where a statue of a hissing cobra that was about three times the size of Harry's 5'7 form stood.

Daija clasped his hands behind his back as he addressed it. "Good even, Aurora."

The snake suddenly moved and Harry watched in amazement as a real cobra the size of a small basilisk shifted to life from the stone, scales turning from a light grayish color to glistening black within seconds.

His eyes, however, were soon caught in an intense gold gaze and Harry retreated a step, cautious of the large serpent.

A forked tongue slid from its mouth, something akin to laughter coming from the cobra as it lowered its head in greeting. / Do not fear me, my young speaker. I intend you no harm. /

Harry visibly relaxed, the almost maternal voice setting him at ease. / Good to know. /

Her gazed was unwavering in its intensity. / I have not seen you in these halls before, young one. /

/ I'm at a loss for words, to be honest. / He shrugged helplessly.

Aurora slithered to the side, revealing the door she protected. / It is an understandable reaction to my home. You will return to speak with me, my little hatchling. I've not had many to speak with in recent years. /

/ I will. / Harry agreed, giving the cobra a smile.

As the conversation ended, Daija nodded. "I am impressed."

The Gryffindor turned to him, confused.

"I knew you were a Parselmouth but I did not how advanced you were," the phoenix explained, giving him a pleased smile before stepping forward and opening the door for him. "A piece of advice."

The young wizard looked back at him, feeling slightly nervous as he stepped into the office.

"Be honest," he smirked. "She has a most annoying tendency of knowing everything." Give him a final wink, he shut the door.

Sighing, Harry turned to take in the room before him.

The office reminded him of the Great Hall with its ceiling charmed to look like the night sky, black clouds passing over an eerily pale crescent moon with the occasional lightning bolt illuminating it.

Unsurprisingly, he thought of Remus.

After losing himself in this visual for several moments, his eyes drifted away to look around a bit more.

He could imagine Hermione's bright eyes wide in excitement as he looked at the several bookshelves that lined the entire back wall of the impressive office, resembling a small library more than anything, while various odd looking items he couldn't even begin to identify were scattered every which way and thick carpet lined the floor. A large, wooden desk was in the center of the room and Harry took a deep breath before walking towards it. The desk itself was in absolute chaos with papers and books lying all over it while a dusty brown owl slept at one corner with its head tucked beneath its wing.

Harry smiled a bit and reached out a hand, intending to pet the soft feathers.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." The voice startled Harry and he whirled around to a smiling, elegant looking woman with bluish-white hair, a youthful face and intense blue eyes that were looking directly at him. "Last time I woke him, he had a fit."

"S-Sorry…I was just-"

"Worry not, young Harry." She walked towards him and studied him a moment before proceeding behind her desk to sit down. "Please, take a seat."

He slowly lowered himself into one of the two chairs across from her.

"Now, then," she smiled again, trying to help ease his nerves, "because you've accepted our offer to teach you, you were enrolled the moment you walked through our doors. Do you understand?"

"Yes," Harry answered, holding his tongue from asking the many questions he had before she could speak.

"Good. Before we begin anything, I have a request to make of you." She leaned back in her chair, giving him a piercing look though he couldn't say what she was looking for. "Our world is not at all like the world of wizards and you must understand that we must keep it under wraps. Therefore, I must ask that anything you hear, see, learn or do be kept strictly in the confines of our own world and on a need-to-know basis regarding others outside of it. Life in and of itself is unpredictable so it is understandable that, occasionally, our worlds cross with that of wizards and considering you will be returning to that world, I know certain situations will arise where explanations will be needed. Your own talents and experiences may be shared as you see fit, however, our world is to be kept secret. Especially its location."

Harry nodded. "I understand."

The smile returned. "Very good." She held up a hand and Harry blinked when a thick folder came flying out of seemingly nowhere, going straight to her hand before she set it on her desk. "Moving on, then."

"…Headmistress?" She glanced up and he shook his head, confused. "I thought…well…Daija said-"

Sakura rolled her eyes, annoyed at the phoenix after having had this particular conversation with students said phoenix retrieved. "Daija tends to embellish nearly everything, especially when he has a fresh young mind to corrupt. A blood oath is only put into effect if and when a student endangers the exposure of our world and we are forced to take extraordinary measures to correct it. Only then do I make such a demand but few ever do such things."

Harry let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding.

Seeing that he was at ease for the first time since laying eyes on him, and making a mental note to smack Daija upside the head when she got the chance, Sakura opened the folder. "Well, you've certainly made quite a name for yourself, haven't you?" A teasing smirk highlighted her features.

The boy wasn't able to hide his blush, muttering, "Not by choice."

Her smirk eased into a smile as she continued to read through his record, an eyebrow rising. "Is there a rule in Hogwarts you _didn't_ break?"

This earned her a laugh and she chuckled right along with him, well aware of the past happenings.

"All right," she leaned back in her chair, clasping her hands on her lap. "Let me just explain a few things to alleviate some of your confusion." The knowing smile set Harry's mind a little more at ease. "Compared to Hogwarts, Neforia is far more strict and demanding of its students. Our instruction and training are alike to what the aurors of your world would experience in their initial training though far more difficult mentally, physically and, of course, magically. First, we do not have houses like Hogwarts. Instead, we uncover your abilities by taking you through a series of challenges and then you're given a crest of a particular strength. No two are the same as each is unique to the person who wears it. One thing we've come to realize and accept is that everyone is different and we here at Neforia encourage individuality and independence."

Harry took these words to heart, nodding in understanding. "What are the challenges?"

Sakura's smile remained as she continued, "The first challenge is going before the Oracle of the North. It'll test many things about your character and your strength. The Oracle will awaken your inner power and you will take your true form."

He blinked. "True form?"

"We do not teach wizards, Harry. You will no longer be human when you return us…at least, most likely. You will find the saying, 'Every living creature carries with it the potential to be something other than what it is', quite often here. It is the unofficial motto of our beloved academy."

Harry was slightly unnerved at the thought of transforming into something not quite human but his curiosity was too great as he asked, "What exactly will I be turning into?"

"Even the wisest cannot say, Harry. I was once a simple, muggle girl before I was brought to this school."

'_Well…that's…different,'_ he thought but nodded anyway, understanding the point. "What happened when _you_ saw this Oracle?"

"It is my own secret." Sakura smiled at the memory. "But I'll tell you that I was physically altered so my body could withstand my power. I'm not human, Harry, and I haven't been for a very long time. I'm a fox youkai, and as such I was in need of several changes because my human body simply wasn't equipped to handle that kind of power."

"So, that's the reason Daija's a phoenix then?"

Sakura nodded. "Exactly."

He nodded but sighed, somewhat lost. "I still don't really understand."

"I know, Harry. No one can really begin to understand until they face the Oracle and begin in our world but you can rest assured of one thing. You have absolutely nothing to fear while you remain in this academy and you are not in this alone." Her smile didn't falter once, even as it dimmed slightly in understanding of his situation. "Do you understand?"

A small smile was returned to the headmistress as he nodded. "What's the second challenge?"

"That would be to find a suitable familiar. When you accomplish these two things, you're given the third and fourth challenges," she explained.

Curiosity once more outweighing common sense, Harry asked, "What are they?"

She chuckled. "Eager, are we?"

A sheepish nod was her answer.

"The third challenge is to find your weapon, which will become an extension of you. You'll be taken by your mentor to our forge and there, you'll receive one that is perfectly in sync with _your_ magic. I suppose you could compare this to finding a wand in the wizarding world. The process can potentially be a bit risky, however, the end result is beneficial and the weapon will forever be yours. The final challenge then is finding your crest of strength. This crest is given in the form of a pendant and no two are alike. It'll act as a protection for your magic until you master your powers and, afterward, it'll become a proud emblem for you to wear after you graduate."

He nodded in understanding, thinking about what this could mean for him…it was a chance. A chance he needed in order to eventually do what needed to be done. Taking a deep breath, he asked, "When do I start?"

Sakura simply looked at him for several moments before bowing her head in acceptance, taking an envelope from the top of her desk and tossing it to him.

He caught it, blinking when he saw no writing upon it.

"These are the supplies you will need for the upcoming term. After you're all settled in and you've gotten a bit of sleep, you'll begin. I look forward to having you in this academy, Harry, and Daija shall help you prepare."

"But, what about my money? Gringotts-"

"Relax." Sakura stood, showing Harry to the door as she spoke, "We have an ongoing deal with the goblins. When a student is accepted into Neforia, the transfer papers are immediately drawn up and I wouldn't doubt that the goblins have already relocated half your funds to their branch here in Puther. Daija will take you there in the morning so you may sort out whatever is needed and then you can go exploring. We still have a few days of summer, after all."

Harry gave her a grateful smile. "Thank you, Headmistress."

Sakura silently nodded as he left her office.

When Harry walked past the rather bored Aurora who had been attempting to knock Daija down with her tail, the phoenix smiled widely. "And how was your meeting, my young student?"

He blinked a bit but eventually nodded, still somewhat confused but feeling significantly better about his decision to come here. "It went well. I'm not quite as confused, at least."

"Well then, that's all we can ask for so early in this game." He observed the boy. "You look satisfied."

Shrugging, Harry just smiled in response as he thought, _'I am satisfied.'_ He knew that Dumbledore, while having good intentions in keeping him from the war, was not thinking strategically. He needed to be trained. Neforia was willing and able to offer him this and if he managed to carve out a new life for himself, all the better. _'I won't regret this.'_ He would miss certain people during his time here but he knew, deep down, that he would not regret doing this.

In an attempt to distract himself from the feeling of homesickness that suddenly engulfed him, he opened the envelope the headmistress had given to him and took out the list. It was extensive. Some of the items there, he outright gaped at while others caused him to cringe at the very thought. Having been raised in the magical sense within the laws and morals of the wizarding world, Harry wasn't accustomed to being so casual about many things the ministries would, more than likely, find illegal.

A particular ingredient caused him to shake his head. _'And why would I need a dementor's tongue?'_ He nearly gagged at the thought, not even knowing the vile things _had_ tongues before tonight.

"Don't worry so much." Emerald collided with crimson as Daija chuckled. "We'll get you settled in."

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**End of Part I**

Well, there it is and guess what? I actually like it after reading it three times! If you knew me, this would truly be saying something as this story has been the bane of my writing for far too long. Maybe the break was needed because now I am feeling inspired. Onto to Part II!

I hope you guys enjoyed it and if you see any errors at all, please tell me. That's how I get better. ^_^ Thanks for reading and please leave a review, all comments are appreciated.


	2. Part II

Disclaimer – I do not own Harry Potter and am making no kind of profit from writing this story.

Summary – Following his 5th year at Hogwarts School, Harry Potter disappears from both the wizarding and muggle worlds without warning. What happens when he suddenly returns a changed man six years later? Eventually, this will be a Lucius Malfoy x Harry Potter pairing though it will be slow building.

Warnings – A major alternative universe storyline, slash, original characters, etc. Basically anything my very odd mind can come with to make the story twist and turn the way I want it to. In this particular chapter there is also a slight mention of m-preg so consider yourself warned.

/ Blah, blah, blah. / - Parseltongue.

'_Blah, blah, blah.'_ – Thoughts.

Without further ado, read, enjoy & review! ^_^

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**Shadows to Shadows**

_by, Zaleone_

**Part II**

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As Harry awaited the arrival of Daija, the phoenix having promised to come and collect him this morning, his mind wandered and he discovered one of the main things he would miss here.

The sky.

Being underground, while very interesting in theory, was confining after a time without the sky to gaze at. Neforia had surprisingly good lighting in the day but those fires were doused at night, encasing the academy in darkness with only a few remaining lit for safety. Without the moon or the stars, Harry found himself somewhat claustrophobic even if he knew that he would adapt eventually. Flying, after all, was the very definition of freedom and one of the things he truly enjoyed in this life. Without the sky…it was unnerving.

A soft 'hoot' caught his attention and he smiled, stroking Hedwig's feathers as she nuzzled his face. The owl, though rather annoyed with him the evening before, seemed to already have adjusted to her new home.

He'd already taken a shower and dressed, Daija having provided him with a set of clothing after spotting the hand-me-downs the Dursley family gave him. His personal effects had been brought to these temporary rooms, the likes of which were bare but much nicer than not only his bedroom at the Dursleys but his dorm in Hogwarts as well.

Just as the large clock over the fireplace struck seven, there was a knock at the door though the phoenix didn't wait for an answer before walking in with a cheery, "Good morning, Harry. I trust your first night was satisfactory?"

"It was all right," he answered, standing up as Hedwig flew to the provided perch in front of the open window.

Daija gave him a once over, clearly happy for the change from his normal rags to the long-sleeved black sweater and faded jeans. "I see you're ready. It would be wise to make a habit of rising early for it will give you many hours of needed rest. You have your wand?" When the boy nodded, he held open the door. "Then shall we?"

… … …

… … …

Harry was shaking his head as they finally left the apothecary, which in his opinion resembled a medieval operating room. "I now know there is no hope for me in potions."

"Oh, do stop being so dramatic." Daija rolled his eyes at the teen.

'_Bloody overgrown turkey.'_ He glared. "If I'm weird so be it but honestly, what kind of potion am I going to be making that calls for using parts of a dragon no one would think of outside of some freaky fetish?"

The man just laughed at him.

Daija had brought him to Puther to visit the Gringotts branch and shop for school supplies, Harry now understanding what the phoenix had meant last night.

Puther was a literal, living cliché.

Between Neforia and its counterpart academy, Jetton, was a city that had to be close to the size of London though every shop was linked to magic in some way even if all they sold was muggle clothes. The true irony, however, lied in the fact that almost exactly halfway through the city on either side was an obvious line that separated the borders between Neforia's territory and Jetton's. Each academy was responsible for looking after half of the city, after all. On one side of the breaking street were stores that greatly resembled the stores in Knockturn and Diagon Alley while the other side, Jetton's side, greatly resembled muggle London in architecture.

The city was a living contradiction of itself and it had taken Harry nearly half an hour to stop snickering at the picture.

"What would you say to some lunch?" Daija offered, turning to him.

Harry nodded in agreement. "I'm starving."

Both he and the phoenix had been shopping for the better part of three hours after spending nearly two at Gringotts where Harry had been emancipated in light of Neforia's interference and also given full access to his inheritance. This included a sizable sum from the Potter line and the clever investments Lily had made. Though at first relieved to be out of Gringotts, Harry soon found that he positively loathed shopping.

The phoenix led him to a nearby café that looked pleasant, Harry finding a seat while Daija ordered.

A few minutes later, he was handed a steak sandwich. "Enjoy it. Your tastes may change after you see the Oracle."

Harry picked at his food a minute before glancing back up at the phoenix. "You've met the Oracle. Right?"

Daija nodded, digging into his salad. "I was born a squib with pureblood parents in the Spain's wizarding community. It goes without saying that Neforia was a godsend for me." The boy looked back down at his food, a frown marring his features and Daija decided to venture a bit further as he continued, "My daughter, however, saw the Oracle when she was only a child because she was born into this world of me and her sire."

Harry didn't exactly hear what Daija had said but did understand what Daija was trying to say. "You have a daughter?"

"Yes." The phoenix shrugged as that grin appeared. "I'm approaching my first century in age, Harry. I'm not what _you_ might call young."

After staring at the man for several moments, Harry wasn't sure what to think. "You're serious."

Daija smirked, nodding once although the seriousness of his statement was evident in his eyes.

"Whoa." Harry blinked. "So…after I come back, I won't age like a human?"

Another shrug. "It depends solely on what the Oracle foresees in your future. He believed I'd one day be a wise teacher though the 'wise' part of that remains unseen." Harry chuckled. "To be serious, however," Daija shook his head. "It is difficult to describe but no two are alike in our world, Harry. It is part of what makes it what it is. I think you may understand a bit better after tonight."

The fifteen-year-old silently nodded, a comfortable silence descending between them as they shared the lunch.

When they finished, they began walking around once more before coming to a large store that specialized in familiars.

"Well, we should probably go ahead and find you a familiar while we're in town and have the time." They entered the store and Daija waved him off. "Go on, take a look around and see if anything in particular catches your eye."

Though unsure, Harry did as he was told and began looking around.

The store was _big_.

There were owls, hawks, eagles, snakes, cats, toads, dogs and many other animals he'd seen at one point or another but as he ventured further into the store, he began seeing wolves, much larger versions of cats, griffins…the list continued growing as he gazed at the impressive animals. When he spotted a unicorn, however, he paused and blinked repeatedly before venturing even further into the back. On the very back wall of the store, several stable-like stalls that held unicorns, thestrals, winged horses…

He paused once more when he saw a large, darker colored animal in the stall at the end.

Curiosity peaked; he stepped closer and openly gaped when he got a good look at the creature. "Oh, my…"

It was a hippogriff.

A very large, very beautiful hippogriff.

'_At least now I understand how Hagrid was able to tell Buckbeak was young,'_ he thought, looking the proud animal over that seemed less than thrilled with its surroundings. It was easy to tell that this particular hippogriff had obviously been through the ringer a few times just by looking at it.

'_Him,'_ he mentally corrected himself, glancing at the chart displayed on the side of the stall.

He was almost a full foot taller than Buckbeak had been although his body was still lean and strong, even if a bit on the skinny side at the moment. His hair and tail were completely black, the color gradually fading into dark amber on his front while the feathers on his neck and wings were a surprisingly beautiful mix of black and amber, his beak and head black as well though his eyes were the very same light color and reminded Harry greatly of Remus' eyes.

Several scars marred his left side as well as his front legs, obviously from a fight, however, the bandage around his right hind leg made it clear he'd recently been in one as well. Taking a closer look at that leg, concern washed through him when he saw that the wound beneath the poorly wrapped bandage was bleeding through.

Taking his eyes off the wound, Harry nearly jumped when he saw that the animal was staring right back at him.

His mind immediately replaying what he'd learned from Hagrid, he slowly bent at the waist to bow only to actually jump this time when the hippogriff started screeching at him and nearly bit his ear off with that damn beak.

When the beast only got _more_ agitated the lower he bowed, Harry stood straight again. "Okay, all right!" He put his hands up, waving them at the beast. "Just calm down!"

The animal settled down almost immediately, cocking his head at him curiously.

Harry's expression flattened. _'Wonderful. Out of all the animals here, I'm interested in the one with issues.'_

Once the animal calmed again, he sighed and then glanced around. A first-aid like kit was open beside the stall, a few bandages and like in disarray that was obviously intended for the hippogriff. _'Whoever it was probably gave up,'_ he thought; seeing as how he could bandage the wound better himself. Leaning down, he made it clear to the animal that he was simply picking something up from the kit before standing back up and looking at him again.

The animal's eyes went to his hand before meeting his eyes once more in silent question.

Sighing a second time, Harry decided to forgo the rules of engagement with this particular species and took a few hesitant steps towards him. He smiled when the animal didn't back away at his advance though; in all honesty, there was nothing that could've been misconstrued as an invitation either.

When the hippogriff suddenly squawked at him, he stopped.

Steeling himself, he slowly brought a hand and reached out to his beak but paused once more when the hippogriff snapped his head to side in warning. Holding his hand there, he waited for the animal to make the next move…much like he'd done with Buckbeak a couple years before.

The animal cocked its head to the side, meeting Harry's eyes a moment before closing his own and pushing his head into the offered touch. As Harry began to stroke the smooth beak, he leaned into it. A small grin broke out on the teen's face and he rubbed the hippogriff's head firmly for several minutes, simply enjoying the feel of his feathers and the sound that was akin to a purr coming from the large beast before he started running his hands down the strong neck.

When the animal opened his eyes once again, obviously more relaxed this time, Harry carefully ran his hand across the strong shoulder and back as he walked beside him very slowly. Not once did his eyes stray from the amber irises locked on him, studying him intently. When he finally got to the injured leg Harry lowered himself to his knees and waited, knowing full well that the creature could easily kill him with one well-aimed kick to the head if he were so inclined.

The hippogriff, again, took his time in studying him.

Several minutes passed before he made another squawk-like sound, albeit softer this time, and slowly folded his front legs beneath him, turning his back legs just right so that he half-lied on his side. Even so, he was in easy range to watch over Harry's shoulder or bite him if the need arose.

Taking the initiative, Harry carefully unwrapped the damp and bloody bandage. After setting it to the side, he got a good look at the jagged wound and winced in sympathy.

It wasn't a simple cut like he'd thought but a bite that had loosened a large piece of flesh from the animal's bone, more than likely from another animal in the store. It was obviously infected and Harry sighed, knowing it would need to be cleaned before it was bandaged again.

A sudden **thud** sound to his right made him blink before he glanced down, seeing the kit sitting oh-so-innocently by his knee.

'_Well, then,'_ he raised an eyebrow, looking up at the hippogriff. The animal was looking straight head, pointedly ignoring him but still managing to look proud in the act. Shaking his head, Harry resisted a chuckle and opened the kit again. He took a better look at the contents this time, reading the directions on how to use some of the various items provided. After making sure he had the basics covered he quickly cleaned the wound with a sterilizing potion before taking out a healing salve and applying a generous amount onto the wound, ignoring the slight growl made in protest from the large animal. He carefully taped a piece of gauze over the wound before wrapping the bandage around the injured leg tightly, thankful when no blood leaked through immediately.

"Now that's a sight."

Both Harry and the now calm hippogriff looked towards the opening of the stall where an older man was looking at the boy in shock.

"I've been trying to do that for two blasted weeks. How did you…" He trailed off, seeming to rethink what he was about to say and shook his head. "Actually, never mind." The man flashed him a grin and Harry was instantly reminded of a salesman. "I'll make you a deal, boy. You pay for the medical supplies you'll need to help him along and anything else you were planning to buy and I'll give him to you. What do you say?"

Harry blinked in disbelief. "Really."

"Very much so," he answered. "This thing," he pointed at the animal, "has been here for six years and he's more trouble than what I'm paying to keep him around. You're the first that's been able to get within ten feet of him without getting hurt."

"All right," Harry glanced at the animal. "What do you think?"

The hippogriff spared him a glance before silently standing back up, favoring his injured leg a bit as he walked out of the stall with a proud grace Harry was amazed the animal could pull off with how much it had to hurt. Smirking, Harry stood as well and dusted his jeans off before following and removing the chain around the animal's neck that kept him close to the stall.

Turning back to the man, he nodded once. "All right. I'll take him."

"Very good." The man was grinning again. "Was there anything you needed today?"

Harry thought on it a moment before answering, "I need an owl."

He nodded. "Certainly, just please keep your eyes on him," he pointed to the hippogriff behind Harry. "The owls are towards the front."

"Thank you."

Walking slowly, mainly for the benefit of the injured animal beside him, Harry came upon the assortment of birds after a few minutes of trying to find exactly where they were.

He knew that if he was going to stay at this academy, he'd probably have to still deal with a few wizards and possibly owl Remus at some point in time so he was going to need a second owl. Hedwig, though he loved her dearly, was too recognizable to fly freely within a hundred miles of Hogwarts or London.

Taking a moment to look at the variety of birds, he spotted a pitch-black horned owl that rested on a high perch near the ceiling. It had bright yellow eyes, this being the only identifiable thing about it because of its coloring.

After telling the bird handler which he wanted, he walked back up towards the front of the store.

Daija glanced up from the baby basilisk he'd been observing when he saw something moving towards him out of the corner of his eye, somewhat surprised when he saw the large animal walking beside his newest student.

Harry smiled nervously, putting a hand on the hippogriff's neck. "Well, what do you think of him?"

A smile crossed the phoenix's face. "Excellent choice, Harry. Hippogriffs are a rarity as a familiar." Somehow, he knew that this coming year was going to be very, very interesting.

… … …

… … …

Daija cocked his head to the side as he watched the content hippogriff. "Amber?"

"Too feminine." Harry rested his head on his chin. "Onyx?"

The phoenix shook his head. "Not enough black on him, though that would fit your owl to a tee."

Harry currently rested on his stomach with his head propped up by his hand while Daija sat next to him, the phoenix sprawled out on the green grass as they tried to come up with a proper name for his new familiar.

"Yeah, Onyx would be a good name for him," Harry mused before sighing. "I didn't think _this_ would be the tiring part of the day."

Daija chuckled. "Well, let's make it easier. What is he? He's strong, proud…"

"Stubborn?"

"I was going to say obstinate."

A few silent minutes passed as they watched the hippogriff happily make a meal out of an unlucky rabbit he'd caught.

Daija glanced at his new student. "How about Hyperion?"

"Hyperion?" Harry raised an eyebrow. "What's that?"

The phoenix rested back on his elbow. "It's part of the legend of how Neforia and the four oracles came to be."

Harry turned to the phoenix expectantly.

Daija thought for a moment, not having told this story in a while. "Well… Legend has it that Neforia Castle was not built but raised from hell by a dark necromancer that called himself Khuuln. Khuuln made a deal with the dark prince, Lucifer, to obtain Neforia and, in return, the necromancer would bestow him with four souls stolen from the heavens. Though intrigued, Lucifer demanded to have a soul of flame, of earth, of wind and of water."

"The four elements?"

"Exactly. Khuuln agreed to these terms and Lucifer allowed him to raise Neforia from the fiery depths of his realm. He gave the necromancer four years to recover from the monumental task before demanding payment. Though powerful, Khuuln could only summon the specific souls to earth instead of into Lucifer's hands as he planned because these souls were not human. Ergo, they were far more powerful than he realized."

Harry smiled. "The four oracles."

"Indeed." Daija paused a moment before continuing, "See, each element is at odds with the others but each need the others to survive. It's the same with the oracles although they've been warring against one another since their return to earth. It was this love and hate relationship that made it possible for Khuuln to control even one of them because although they basically hated one another, they were also fiercely loyal because even if one of them were to ever die the others would soon follow without the natural balance. After breaking free of the necromancer's hold, the four joined together in a temporary alliance and delivered Khuuln directly into the hands of Lucifer."

A smirk replaced the smile. "So it was a trick."

The phoenix nodded. "A trick, it was. The four oracles desperately wanted to return to earth and Lucifer wanted the powerful necromancer as his servant to add to his armies so they made a deal before Khuuln became a necromancer. Because of his satisfaction in attaining the powerful conjurer, Lucifer allowed Neforia to remain here on earth so long as the four oracles continued to watch over it in his place. But because he didn't trust the power of elementals, Lucifer gave them the sword from his side, Hyperion, before returning to his realm. The four oracles then shattered Hyperion's blade into four different pieces and each constructed their own weapon from the unique metal while the hilt was hidden. The legend concludes in saying that if Hyperion were re-forged that the wielder could summon Lucifer and his army for his own desires."

A loud squawk made both Daija and Harry look ahead at the almost giddy hippogriff that had caught yet another furry animal.

"Hyperion." Harry smiled, watching the large animal practically prance. "I like it."

… … …

… … …

When the light of sunset remained though the sun itself had disappeared below the horizon, Daija led Harry and Hyperion to the surface above Puther and Harry found that he'd actually forgotten that he was in the arctic up until that very moment. He was suddenly very grateful that Daija had had the foresight to layer multiple warming charms and spells on his clothing as well as Hyperion so they wouldn't freeze.

Though the light was dim, the snow hurt Harry's eyes and the land stretched on for miles and miles. The only landmark in sight was the high mountains towards the north, the peaks disappearing into the clouds.

When the phoenix began speaking, Harry strained his ears in order to hear him over the howling wind.

"You have until tomorrow night when the new moon rises to reach the mountains." Daija pointed towards the largest peak. "Hyperion can take you most of the way but don't depend on him entirely. It's far below freezing and the air will get thinner and make it harder for him to fly and for you to breathe the higher you go."

Harry shook his head. "How will I know where to go?"

Daija just smiled. "Trust me, you'll know." He put a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Don't worry, Harry. You'll do fine and Hyperion will bring you back from the mountains when the time comes."

The fifteen-year-old could only watch as Daija disappeared before his eyes, leaving him behind in the bitter cold.

Heaving a sigh, he turned to Hyperion. "Well?" he practically yelled.

In response, the hippogriff merely kneeled and waited.

Harry smiled, walking over and easing himself up onto the hippogriff's back carefully because of his injured leg.

Hyperion waited as the young wizard shifted into a comfortable position before looking ahead and stretching his wings a bit. With a slight jump, he took off running at full speed before spreading his wings and taking flight for the first time Harry had seen. The teen grinned at the familiar weightlessness of flying, enjoying himself immensely though he was quick to wrap his arms around Hyperion's neck for balance and warmth from the wind.

As the hippogriff started towards the mountains, Harry couldn't help but wander what lied ahead.

* * *

**End of Part II**

Wow. O.o I actually like how Part II came out. Yay! ^_^ I hope you guys enjoyed the rewrite! Just so I'm covered, I want to make a few things clear in regards to this particular chapter and story.

**One** – The story behind Neforia and the Oracles. This is completely my own idea. I made it up on the spot for this story because though I planned a legend in the original outline, I forgot to actually write a legend. -_- Yep, perfect blonde moment, however, this story came from it so I can't regret it. If you want to use it for anything, please just do me the courtesy of asking permission. ^_^ Thanks for understanding.

**Two** – The original draft of this particular chapter was much, much more detailed in the shopping trip and Gringotts but I need to lay the foundation of Neforia in only a few chapters and wanted it to flow easily with little to no confusion in what is happening. So I hope you guys weren't too disappointed.

**Three** – Yes, Daija's daughter _will_ play a part in this story, however, she will _not_ be a romantic interest for Harry. I want to be very clear here. **This is a slash story** through and through on Harry's part and if I do see the need for a past romantic interest, it will be a man or a heterosexual couple to see which Harry prefers. I don't want to spoil the story but I want to make this perfectly clear so I don't get any flames.

**Four** – Harry's attitude and demeanor will be shifting, however, it will be a gradual change with plenty of explanation as to why and he will still be Harry. One of my pet peeves is when Harry's entire character is rewritten with little to no explanation so I will endeavor to write these changes carefully.

So after that particularly long note, I shall now move on to Part III. ^_^ Thanks for reading guys; I hope you enjoyed and all feedback is appreciated.


	3. Part III

Disclaimer – I do not own Harry Potter and am not making any kind of a profit from writing this story.

Summary – Following his 5th year at Hogwarts School, Harry Potter disappears from both the wizarding and muggle worlds without warning. What happens when he suddenly returns a changed man six years later? Eventually, this will be a Lucius Malfoy x Harry Potter pairing though it will be slow building.

Warnings – A major alternative universe storyline, slash, original characters, etc. Basically anything my very odd mind can come up with to make the story twist and turn the way I want it to.

/ Blah, blah, blah. / - Parseltongue.

'_Blah, blah, blah.'_ – Thoughts.

Without further ado, read, enjoy & review! ^_^

* * *

**Shadows to Shadows**

_by, Zaleone_

**Part III**

**

* * *

**

On the best of days, Severus Snape was by no means what one might call a likable, approachable, or patient man. When aggravated, random objects within his immediate vicinity tended to explode; thus the mystery of a how a single man, who taught potions of all things, could terrify the entire student body of Hogwarts School became very clear.

At the moment, however, he was bored.

Yes, the famed potion master was bored and was quickly becoming annoyed with the current situation.

Crossing his arms, he leaned against the wall and observed those around him.

Albus called an _emergency_ meeting nearly two hours ago and had said that it involved the damnable brat-who-lived-to-annoy. What a shock. Along with him Lupin, Molly, Arthur, Mad-Eye, Tonks, Kingsley, and Minerva had been called and were currently trying to keep themselves occupied as they awaited the elderly wizard.

"Severus."

Obsidian eyes turned to Molly, an eyebrow rising in inquiry.

She looked understandably tired. "Do you know what this is all about?"

He shook his head. "When have you ever known me able to predict Albus' senile behavior?"

Molly rolled her eyes while Remus snorted, the entire Order aware of the frustration and confusion that came with working with Albus Dumbledore.

As the tension within the room faded, this seemed to set things into motion.

The doors to Grimmauld opened to reveal one Albus Dumbledore, strolling in like nothing was out of the ordinary; however, all eyes were on the hooded figure that followed him. They knew Albus would never bring a stranger unless he trusted them implicitly; however, everyone was understandably wary.

The old codger for once got right down to business as he stood before them. "Thank you all for coming and waiting so patiently while I finished some last minute affairs that took a bit longer than I'd originally planned. I sincerely apologize for taking so long."

Tonks, still clad in her pink pajamas, robe and fluffy bunny slippers, groaned. "What the hell is so damn important that it couldn't have waited six bloody hours?"

"Nymphadora, mind your language," Molly reprimanded.

The younger woman clenched her teeth, glaring at the redhead beside her as her own hair and eyes flashed a very bright red.

Normally, Severus would find this amusing as he found the young auror to be a quality source of entertainment, but his attention was focused solely on the newcomer.

Albus simply 'twinkled' at the two before continuing, "I have two announcements. The first is that our young Harry will not be returning to Hogwarts for either his sixth or seventh year."

Well, there was nothing like being blunt.

Though surprised, the potion master recovered first and smirked. _'3…2…1…'_

"WHAT!" – Mad-Eye, Molly and Tonks screamed.

His expression turned smug at the outburst; however, his attention remained on the cloaked man for it was clearly a man given his height and the strong build his cloak did little to hide.

Molly outright gaped at Albus. "Why?" she whispered, shocked at the news.

"Molly, dearest, calm down," Arthur soothed, wrapping an arm around her shoulders before looking at Albus. "What do you mean he's not coming back? He's not…" he trailed off, worry and fear evident in his expression.

Albus smiled reassuringly. "I assure you, the boy is quite all right. He simply will not be returning to us for quite some time. I wanted all of you to know he is perfectly safe before the media is made aware of this."

"I don't understand." Kingsley shook his head, confused. "Exactly _where_ is the boy, Albus?"

The man's smile didn't waver in the slightest. "Even I don't know his exact location and for that he is safer than he'd be here with these recent attacks. An old friend of mine, of whom I'd trust with my life, contacted me a few hours ago and has assured me that Mr. Potter is perfectly fine and is in far more capable hands than he'd be if he returned to Hogwarts."

So, in Twinkle-Code, this meant: "Harry's safe and that's all anyone needs to know."

Seeming to be the only within the room to not have overlooked the newcomer, Severus silently observed him. Yes, he may be curious about what Potter managed to get himself into this time, but he knew Albus would later explain it later when the dust had settled a bit. When the man shifted his weight to his right foot, something in his mind recognized the habitual movement. _'I know him,'_ he thought. Sizing the man up, it took several seconds, of which Albus spent trying to reassure the Weasley matriarch that Potter was still breathing, before it finally clicked and his eyes narrowed. _'What the hell could he want here?'_

"Arthur, Molly, would the two of you mind breaking the news to your children and Miss Granger? I wouldn't want them to read it in the Daily Prophet and do something rash."

Both simply nodded, trying to process everything.

Tonks heaved a sigh, rubbing her forehead. "It's too bloody early for this."

"Now, onto my second announcement," Albus smiled, that bloody twinkle returning full force. "I'm very happy to say we now have a second contact within Voldemort's ranks."

The cloaked man was once more the focus of attention.

Taking this as his cue, he reached up and lowered the hood smoothly.

Severus felt satisfied, not at all surprised when that familiar, aristocratic face emerged. _'I knew it.'_

The others merely gaped for a few seconds before…

**THUD**

Arthur blinked out of his stupor and glanced down at his wife who now lied on the floor in a dead faint. "Molly!"

Mad-Eye composed himself quickly, glancing at the others maliciously. "CONSTANT VIGILIANCE!"

This time, the disturbed ex-auror managed to catch everyone, including a certain potion master, off guard since half the room had forgotten the man was even there.

"Alister," Albus warned, pinching the bridge of his nose as he waited for his heart to slow.

With a deep sigh to alleviate his own surprise, Severus smirked. "I never thought I'd live to see this day."

The man he'd known his entire life returned the smirk.

Tonks shook her head, standing and walking away from the room with a muttered, "I need a drink."

Kingsley followed, dazed at the new development.

While the others were in a state of shock or amusement, no one had paid any mind that Remus, while having been a bit stupefied at the identity of the cloaked man, had only reacted to the elderly wizard's first announcement with a knowing smile.

… … …

… … …

Harry grunted with the effort it took to haul himself up and over yet another boulder that was about twice the size he was. The path that appeared every now and again seemed to be fond of evading him at every turn, and was currently trying to make his progress twice as hard.

Even with the vanishing path, the climb itself wouldn't have been so bad considering the very large, jagged rocks and edges that made for easy markers and barriers preventing the frightening idea of falling thousands of feet to his death; however, the darkening skies were working against him. Not only was it becoming increasingly harder to see the obstacles in his path and his time was running short, but it was also getting colder. Much, much colder than the previous night.

He tried valiantly to stop his body from shivering too much, pulling his coat tighter for warmth. _'It feels like there's a dementor breathing down my bloody neck.'_

Hyperion made a soft nose in the back of his throat, firmly pushing his head into Harry's back in order to speed him up.

The large animal was having his own share of difficulty in the weather; the hippogriff easily sensed that something was just…off…around them. Even for the arctic, as Harry now had a reference after spending the night on his own with his familiar, and even in the mountains in the dead of winter, the temperature had never dropped so drastically so fast.

Barely half an hour later, the sun's light had completely disappeared beneath the horizon and only stars lit up the night sky.

Harry found himself somewhat thankful for the snow regardless of how much his feet and body would disagree with that notion. Even without the shine of the moon, he could make out the rocks and could see the faint outline of the edge and made sure to stay as far in as he could to avoid the aforementioned fall.

With his luck, he'd survive the collision and have to climb back up again.

Several minutes passed before a sudden, almost deafening gust of wind hit and surrounded both Harry and Hyperion. Harry cried out in surprise when snow started flying and the temperature dropped even farther; however, a deep cough cut his cry short as the wind's speed increased. He fell to his knees when his legs gave out with the sudden lack of air in his lungs, numbly aware of Hyperion's screech before feeling the large animal resting against him in an attempt to shield him from the sudden onslaught. He managed to stop coughing as Hyperion's large head shielded his face from the wind, finally able to get a breath deep enough to cease the burning in his lungs.

As soon as it started…everything just stopped and all was silent and calm once more.

His breathing still labored, it took Harry several minutes to recover from the shock. When he could finally breathe easily again, he slowly lowered his arms from his head and cautiously opened his eyes as Hyperion lifted his head…only to literally gape at the majestic vision before him.

Even in the night, the shrine-like structure seemed to glow.

Harry's mind finally registered just _what_ he was seeing and he smacked his forehead. "God, I'm an idiot," he muttered. _'No wonder it was so damn cold, the Northern Oracle is the one I'm supposed to see. I'm in the arctic, why didn't I put it together sooner?'_

This shouldn't have been a surprise. After all, the Northern Oracle was a spirit of the ice and it was only logical, not to mention befitting, that a place like Neforia would be so close to his domain.

A bridge of blue ice that could've easily fit three thestral-drawn carriages in width carved a path across a deep ravine to a shrine that looked to be made entirely of ice, rock and snow. The clear blue and white colors intertwined with each other beautifully, and gave the shrine a sharp, inhuman beauty. It stretched out far and Harry could see that when the mountain itself ended at the back, ice had been formed to hold the shrine in place.

A deep growl caught his attention and he blinked, turning towards the sound and jumping in surprise when he spotted two very large lions that had to be at least twelve feet tall and were also made of ice judging by their light blue color. Both possessed luminous eyes that were a strange bluish-violet, the depth of them startling. The 'statues' themselves wouldn't have surprised him so much with the feel of this place if it weren't for the simple, rather nerve-wracking fact that the extremely large felines were staring directly at him and his familiar.

Hyperion stepped in front of Harry, giving a squawk-like growl that just screamed 'back off'.

Harry felt he might actually faint in shock when the feline on the right side of the bridge laughed in a deep, growled voice.

"Such defiance," the lion glanced at the hippogriff a moment before turning his eyes to the teenager. "You've made a wise choice in familiars, young wizard. You should be proud." The lion's ears perked as it glanced towards the shrine a brief moment before returning his eyes to Harry. "He is expecting you. My brother shall take you to him."

The lion on the left bowed his head silently before stepping down from its place and turning to cross the bridge.

Hyperion folded his wings and followed without protest.

Harry's expression flattened as the arrogant beast simply walked passed him. Ignoring the sound that remarkably resembled a snicker from the first lion, he took a deep breath and followed his familiar's example…though not quite as confidently.

When they came upon the entrance doors, Harry refusing to look over the sides of the bridge as he crossed, the young wizard had to steady himself when the bridge beneath him abruptly jerked as the doors that led into the shrine opened.

The sculptures in the large corridors were remarkably similar to Neforia's save for the fact that these, like the lions, were very much sentient and watched his every move carefully.

This did nothing for his nerves.

Just as Harry was managing to overcome this uneasy feeling and beginning to enjoy the beauty of his surroundings, the lion guiding them stopped and nodded once more to them before venturing out the way they had entered.

Harry glanced at Hyperion. "So," he managed to smile though it contained no humor, "you think he'd take offense if we just turned and ran?"

The hippogriff snorted.

"Yeah, that's what I thought." Harry sighed deeply; looking at the door that seemed to loom before him. "Well…" he trailed off with a shrug, walking up to the ornate door and watching as it was opened with barely a sound.

Hyperion stayed very close to his young charge as they slowly ventured into the frozen room. Both of them startled and their uneasiness increased when the massive doors behind them slammed with a powerful echo.

Forcing himself to breathe, Harry took a moment to look around but nothing really registered before he spotted a large figure casually leaning against the far wall.

Wide, emerald eyes took in the man slowly.

Although obviously not human, he was very much male. He had to be over seven feet tall with skin so pale that it would've made Snape look like he vacationed in the Caribbean in comparison. Two beautiful feathered wings lied against his back, the tips of which grazed the floor while their black color accented his coloring and body well. His face was angular and defined with strong cheekbones that supported eyes the color of water…

Eyes that were now glaring at him, the entity clearly not at all happy about being ogled at.

Harry flushed, quickly averting his eyes.

"Now that you have returned to Earth, would you care to step away from the doorway?" His voice was cold; holding no emotion though his irritation couldn't have been clearer if it slapped Harry in the face. "It's rude to linger."

When the boy didn't move, Hyperion pushed his head into Harry's back and forced him further into the room.

"Tell me, _wizard_," the word was spat like an insult, "why did you accept the vixen's offer?"

"I…" Harry faltered, his mind failing him as his heart rate picked up in nervousness. "I…that is…"

"Speak."

The harsh demand, while not shouted, had the desired effect and Harry managed to regain a little of his composure. "I wanted control of my life," he answered quickly, breathing deeply in an effort to calm himself.

The element hummed in thought, gazing thoughtfully at the famous teenager. "At least you're honest," he observed. "I have been insulted far too many times by those who stand in my presence and refuse to speak truthfully." After taking a moment to look the boy over again, he rolled his eyes. "And for the love of Hyne herself, boy, stand up straight and look me in the eye."

Harry immediately straightened his back and moved his gaze to meet the man's eerie, clear eyes.

"In this world, I am known as Krystoff." He continued looking Harry up and down with a critical eye. "I must say with how the world of wizards has come to worship you, I expected someone a bit more impressive, or arrogant, than what I see before me."

'_I didn't choose that life,'_ Harry silently defended himself. _'He's Snape all over again.'_

Krystoff chuckled. "Yes, well, none can truly choose their destinies, Harry." His eyes then narrowed sternly. "And do mind your thoughts in my presence."

The teen's eyes widened momentarily before he decided to ignore the obvious warning and invasion considering Daija had been doing the same since he arrived. _'That bloody overgrown turkey was right. I need to learn Occlumency.'_

"I shall be the second to voice that yes, indeed, you will need to learn and practice that skill; however, no thought is safe from my eyes whilst you are still human." A smirk lightened his features, his expression one of amusement. "And I shall forgive your impudence by praising the nickname you've labeled Daija with. The phoenix annoys even those most patient of mind."

At that, Harry managed a small smile.

There were a few silent moments, Krystoff once again staring at him before his eyes left Harry's. "You are not weak, wizard, but do not grow arrogant with these words. You have much to learn. You'll need to begin restraining your anger and apply it into other means; such a weakness can become a great strength. Learn to think before you act but do not ever doubt your instincts. You have a great skill in strategic thinking and that innocence that remains within you has made you a natural leader. Do not lose that." The smirk returned at this point, the elemental turning to face Harry once more. "And I daresay that I agree, the hat should've placed you in Slytherin."

Harry nearly smacked himself in the forehead. _'Thousand of miles away and still, the same reaction.'_

Krystoff pushed away from the wall, crossing his arms. "I have a few more words of advice for you, wizard, so listen well and never forget." There was a small pause before he continued, "To an extent, I know what your future holds. Do not retain your judgments and opinions of those from your past, face them with a clear mind when you return and do not condemn yourself or lose the undying faith you've held onto for what things may one day become."

Though confused on that last bit, Harry voiced nothing.

Slowly, the elemental of ice stepped towards the boy, pleased when the wizard didn't flinch or shy away as he reached out a clawed hand and laid it on Harry's cheek. "You must put your faith into me now. If you resist, I could very easily kill you."

Though the unease returned, Harry nodded but was mindful of the sharp claws.

Krystoff moved his hand, tangling his claws tightly in the black mess of hair to have a better hold on the boy. Already expecting the instinctual jerk of this, the elemental quickly wrapped his arm around the boy's shoulders and held him in place with an iron grip.

Harry's heart sped up at the sudden aggression, but he still, he tried to keep from struggling against the hold. The hand in his hair jerked his head up, those eerily clear eyes drilling into him with a new intensity. The temperature within the room dropped significantly and he found that though his lungs burned almost immediately with the sudden change. He was unable to look away.

Neither moved for some time but Harry could hear the man's voice, steady as it repeated the same words again and again, though he was unable to understand them.

As fast as he started, the elemental stopped but it was when those clear eyes suddenly turned into a startling crimson that Harry found himself terrified, though still paralyzed. He felt his body go limp, the hand moving from around his shoulders to support his back and keep him from falling.

Krystoff's gaze did not waver once, so focused on the boy he was able to feel his terror. "Embrace it, Harry."

These gentle words relaxed his mind almost immediately but a white-hot searing pain followed immediately when what little resistance he had collapsed. The pain was astonishing and lasted several moments before darkness finally clouded his mind.

The elemental slowly kneeled when the boy fell unconscious in his arms, closing his eyes in concentration as he pushed past the final magical barrier and felt the rush of power as Harry's true magic was released from its bindings. He lowered the frail-looking boy to the ground and was pleased when the hippogriff immediately lied beside his charge.

Standing once more, Krystoff breathed deeply before allowing a smirk to lift his features as he turned towards the darkest corner of the room. "Should I not be more surprised to see you?"

Out of the shadows stepped a mangy, black canine that barked at him happily in greeting.

* * *

**End of Part III**

Woot! Part III is now done. ^_^ I'm actually happy with this re-write so it won't be changing again. Thanks to everyone who has had the patience to stick with this story. Also, thanks to my beta, silvers-edge, for helping me to get this monster rolling again.

Onto Part IV!


	4. Part IV

Disclaimer – I do not own Harry Potter and am not making any kind of a profit from writing this story.

Summary – Following his 5th year at Hogwarts School, Harry Potter disappears from both the wizarding and muggle worlds without warning. What happens when he suddenly returns a changed man six years later? Eventually, this will be a Lucius Malfoy x Harry Potter pairing though it will be slow building.

Warnings – A major alternative universe storyline, slash, original characters, etc. Basically anything my very odd mind can come up with to make the story twist and turn the way I want it to.

/ Blah, blah, blah. / - Parseltongue.

'_Blah, blah, blah.'_ – Thoughts.

Without further ado, read, enjoy & review! ^_^

* * *

**Shadows to Shadows**

_by, Zaleone_

**Part IV**

**

* * *

**

The first semi-lucid thought he was able to make out was the ever intelligent, _'…Ow.'_

Such a statement could quite possibly take first prize for Understatement of the Century as the deep aches and pains within his body flared to life with consciousness and nearly caused him to black out again.

A deep ache had settled in his head, throbbing in sync with his heartbeat and only seemed to get worse the more aware he became. His breath hitched when he tried to shift to a more comfortable position, white-hot pain shooting up his spine and throughout his entire body. Remaining still, he fought to regain his breath and attempted to relax against the panic and confusion that were trying to overwhelm him.

A cool hand was suddenly on his cheek, fingers caressing his feverish skin. "Easy, now. Just breathe, Harry. It will pass."

Though the maternal voice was foreign to him and the words barely registered, the warmth of her tone calmed him and he felt himself complying without protest. Air slowly returned to his aching lungs and after what seemed an eternity to the groggy teen, the pain diminished into a deep ache that was, unfortunately, tolerable.

He took several deep breaths in relief as the pain dulled; only now noticing the hand had disappeared.

"I'm still here, don't worry," the gentle voice soothed. "Do you think you could open your eyes for me?"

The small movement took far more strength than Harry would have liked but he managed to open his eyes…only to shut them again when the light made his head hurt even worse. "Too…too bright," he croaked, groaning when the pounding became even more intense.

"All right, just a second," he heard her move around before settling beside him once more. "Now, try again."

Keeping his breathing steady, he slowly repeated the exhausting task.

This time, while the light was still painfully bright to his sensitive eyes, it was reduced to a single torch on the wall a ways away from his bed. He shifted, relieved when the pain didn't flare up again before he felt the presence beside him return and looked over to meet the eyes of a woman he'd never seen before.

The woman was bustling about in a way that screamed she was a healer; though she was clearly not human. The wizard didn't know of a charm in existence that could turn anyone that…_pink_.

Yes, pink.

He sincerely hoped he was not hallucinating, but then again, he never really cared for the color.

Physically speaking, she wasn't very tall but he could tell she wasn't weak by any means simply by the way she carried herself. She looked somewhat like a muggle doctor with her black slacks and white coat, heels clicking against the stone floor as she walked around with a confidence only a healer could possess. What immediately had his attention was her hair that strongly reminded him of Tonks' favorite color. It was long and well kept; the length of it was in a loose braid and ended around the middle of her back…not to mention that it was a light pastel pink color. Her eyes were also pink, but far darker; and her nails, which were probably claws now that he thought about it, were also pink.

'_Whoa.'_

When she smiled his eyes were immediately on her fangs, but he wasn't wary of. Her gentle nature, it seemed, had a calming effect on him.

"Welcome back to the land of the living, Harry." She took a quill out of her pocket. "Do me a favor and follow this with your eyes." She moved it back and forth several times and Harry followed it without difficulty. "Well, your eyes have healed a little. That's something," her smile didn't waver. "My name is Leena Shaw. I'm a panther youkai and the primary healer for Neforia Academy."

The word pink coupled with the word panther wasn't lost on him but he ignored it, as his thoughts were on other things.

Harry tried to smile back but failed miserably as his jaw protested the movement loudly, the smile pulling back into a wince. "Wh... What happened to me?"

Her eyes softened as she settled down on the side of his bed. "Tell me the last thing you can remember."

'_That didn't answer my question,'_ he mentally growled but didn't voice the thought, instead concentrating on what he actually remembered. It took a few seconds but his memory finally served its purpose. "The Oracle. Krystoff." He looked at her again. "What did he do to me?"

"He awakened your magic."

Harry blinked. "What?"

Leena sighed, crossing her legs as she settled in to explain. "You see, Harry, when dormant magic is awoken in the manner yours was, well…sometimes the body has a hard time adjusting to the change even after the inevitable physical changes occur."

Silently, Harry nodded to show her he understood.

"In your particular case, your body and your mind have reacted defensively, which is not at all out of the ordinary," she reassured at his panicked look. "Because you already knew what your magic felt like, unlike muggles, it was a natural reaction. The mind is very powerful and can easily affect the state of your physical body, especially if magic is involved and with the amount of power you have." She gave him a small smile. "Basically, the magical advance overloaded your mind and your senses; this resulted in you slipping into a healing coma to help your body and mind adjust while your magical core reformed itself to accommodate that kind of power boost."

Again, he nodded.

The panther suddenly glared at his forehead. "With that bloody scar, however, it took nearly twice as long for you to heal because your magic has become powerful enough to react to the foreign magic within you…and rather violently, at that."

"Voldemort," he thought aloud.

"Yes." After a moment, Leena continued, "You've been out of it for nearly two weeks. We almost lost you several times, because, like I said, the sudden change basically overloaded everything within your body. Your heart gave out once because Voldemort's magic also reacted to your newly awakened power. It nearly killed you several times."

Though relieved that the name wasn't taboo here, Harry's expression flattened. _'I feel like I've been here before.'_

Leena smiled. "You owe Hyperion your life for getting you to me in time."

He made a mental note to get the hippogriff a few ferrets.

"Oh, for the love of Hyne herself! Let the boy breathe, woman."

The panther looked a tad sheepish but this swiftly turned into an impressive glare at the smirking phoenix. "You're one to talk. You and that damned mutt haven't left my hospital for more than an hour since he was brought back."

Daija smirked. "At least I didn't give him another heart attack," he countered childishly, winking at Harry.

Harry watched them banter back and forth; smiling as he decided his questions could wait a few more minutes.

Leena gave him a flat look. "You're behaving like a four-year-old."

"Well, what can I say in my defense?" The phoenix shrugged. "Keeps me young."

As the two demons continued on, Harry shook his head and reached up to rub his still aching head only to stop cold when a sharp pain shot up his arm. _'Healed my ass.'_ Glancing down, he saw his arm was encased in bandages that had bled through. What shocked him, however, was the darker bronze color his skin had turned and the bright silver, and rather wicked looking, claws that adorned the tip of each finger. _'What…the…hell?'_

Looking at his other arm, he saw it was in similar shape and had a matching set of claws.

Sitting up carefully to minimize the pain in his protesting body, Harry leaned against the headboard whilst the 'adults' in front of him continued their squabbling.

When his breathing became easier again, he carefully unwrapped the bandages around his left wrist, minding the claws, as he did not want to irritate whatever lied underneath them. Using the ruined piece of cloth as a rag, he wiped the excess blood from his skin and blinked at his wrist. Several silver lines intertwined around his wrist, breaking off and traveling up his thumb to connect with the elegantly curved claw.

Repeating the action on his right wrist, he made the same discovery.

"Daija, I swear-" Leena broke off when she glanced at Harry. "Oh, Harry, I wouldn't-"

"DAMMIT, BLACK! Get back here! NOW!"

Three sets of eyes snapped to the door of the infirmary at the sudden shriek.

"Will you stop screeching at me! You sound like a god damned banshee." There was a pause. "Or my mother."

Harry nearly fainted at the very familiar voice, his eyes locked on the door.

"Excuse me! What did you just say to me! You're the one that just showed up out of nowhere! Literally! We all thought you were dead, you sorry excuse for a mutt!"

"Oh, for the love of… I've told you what happen three times, Sakura!"

"Yes and it _still_ makes no sense!"

"Back off, Cooney." The threat within the growl was obvious.

"We might've gone to school together, Black, but when you're here, I outrank your shaggy hide. I demand a full explanation!"

"Harry deserves to know first, before anyone here. So _back off_!"

It was then that the large doors finally opened and Harry openly gaped in absolute shock as the familiar form of none other than Sirius Black, a.k.a. his godfather, stormed into the room followed closely by a fuming headmistress.

Daija smacked his forehead. _'The child is going to die from heart failure at this rate.'_

Sirius stopped when he finally saw Harry, a grin highlighting his handsome face. "Hey, Bambi."

Those two little words shoved the teenager back into reality and Harry quickly closed his mouth, not knowing what he was supposed to think. _'He's alive,'_ he thought, joy and relief seeping through him before it was suddenly replaced by an intense anger. _'He's alive!'_ Even in his head, it sounded like a growl.

Sirius' grin quickly faded. "Harry…are you okay?"

Turning his body, Harry put his feet on the cold ground and silently glared at the nearest wall.

Concern flooding through him, Sirius went over and sat beside his godson. "What is it?"

Grinding his teeth together, now able to feel how sharp some were, he asked, "Was it planned?"

The man winced. "Harry, you have to understand-"

"Was it planned," Harry repeated, an easily distinguished growl in his tone.

Sirius' face took on a pained look before he nodded. "It was," he whispered. "I wanted to tell you but-"

The animagus was cut off abruptly as Harry's fist suddenly shot out and connected with his temple, sending him to the ground in a less than dignified heap.

With a groan, Harry fell back onto the bed and curled on his side before promptly passing out again.

Daija blinked, cocking his head to the side as he observing the nonmoving Black.

Sakura crossed her arms, her scowl dark though somewhat amused at the boy's reaction. "Well, no one can say he didn't have that one coming."

Leena rolled her eyes, waving a hand to levitate the man to an empty bed. "This is becoming tiresome."

"It's Black," Sakura pointed out, as if it explained everything.

"Point taken but I suddenly feel like I've chosen the wrong occupation." The panther shook her head before going about her duties.

Daija smirked.

The vixen glared at him. "What's so damn funny?"

"Nothing," his expression turned innocent though his eyes continued laughing. "I'm overdue at home, Headmistress. Have a pleasant evening."

With that, the phoenix took his leave.

Sakura pinched the bridge of her nose. "Why did I take this job again," she muttered, leaving the infirmary as well.

… … …

… … …

Holding the icepack against his aching head, Sirius leaned back in the chair and put his feet up on Harry's bed. If he'd known the boy could hit _that_ hard, he probably would've rethought getting so close so soon.

"You deserved it," Leena pointed out, making an occasional note as she looked over her inventory.

He glared at the woman. "Don't start with me, Leena."

She smiled but remained silent, continuing with her work.

It wasn't ten minutes later that Sirius heard the sudden change in Harry's heartbeat, the tempo quickening from the steady pace indicating he was waking up. He looked at his godson just as emerald-green eyes flickered and then opened before focusing on him once more.

Sirius continued holding the ice to his temple, smiling. "Hey, Bambi," he greeted, albeit not quite so confidently.

After getting his bearings back, Harry silently sat up before glaring at his godfather. "Talk."

With a sigh, Sirius took the ice away from his head and simply stared at it a moment. "Harry, do you know anything about your mum? _Really_ know anything?"

Harry blinked but focused on the question, shaking his head after a few seconds. "Only that she was good at charms and I have her eyes."

"That you do," Sirius smiled. _'Even more so now,'_ he thought, seeing the flecks of silver in those familiar emerald irises. "Harry, your mother and I trained together."

Harry nodded. "I know, the Order-"

"Is not what I'm talking about," he interrupted. "Lily and I, we both attended Neforia Academy."

"What?" The boy stared at him. "But…how is that possible?"

"Rather simple, really. I'm sure you know by now that it that all are equal yet different here. Yes?"

Harry nodded.

"Well, your mother was once a simple muggle girl. She was brought here when her name appeared on the list of students ready to attend the academy. That was how she was initially introduced to magic. Neither of us went to the wizarding world until later."

"How much later," he asked, remembering Daija's age.

Sirius smiled sheepishly. "About sixty years."

Harry stared at him for several moments. "You're not joking."

"No." The man was uncharacteristically calm and collected. "While Lily was a muggle, I was born into the Black family who was very prominent in both the wizarding world and this world. My brother, Regulus, and my cousins, Bellatrix, Narcissa and Andromeda all attended here as well as many generations of the Black line before us."

"So, you're all about the same age." Harry nodded in understanding before asking, "Has Bellatrix been with Voldemort this long?"

"That's a story for a different time," Sirius brushed it aside. "Right now, I want to focus on your mother and me."

Harry nodded. "All right."

Sirius cleared his throat before continuing, "We trained here for twelve years, like most, but what you need to understand is that time works differently down here."

"What do you mean?"

"For every two years that pass here, only one year passes for the rest of the world. Some think it's because Krystoff is so close, others think it's something to do with the balance between Neforia and Jetton but no one really understands why. All that's known is that time passes faster here."

Harry thought about this. "So…I'll be twenty-seven when I graduate?"

Sirius nodded.

He blinked but put it to the back of his mind, not wanting to think about _that_ right now.

"Lily and I became fast friends here and we ended up like siblings. When we gradated, we broke away from here and went around the world to see the sights. For years, we did nothing but travel and we saw everything we could before eventually ending up in Britain to see Diagon Alley. From there, naturally, we wanted to see Hogwarts."

Again, Harry nodded.

"When we arrived, we met Albus Dumbledore and asked if we could just have a look around and he offered to give us a tour, as it was during the summer holidays. We had just seen the Pitch when the death-eaters attacked. They were aiming to destroy the school itself and we helped fight them, eventually driving them out. That was when we found out about the war and after hearing all that was involved, we offered our help to Albus and he accepted."

He gave the man an irritated look. "Help?"

Sirius sighed. "After we talked and came up with a plan, Lily and I returned here and told everyone that needed to know. Many of them agreed to come with us and when it was decided who would play what roles, we set off." He shook his head with a smile. "We found a de-aging charm that would allow us to retain our adult mind and magic but would make us physically seem whatever age we wanted to be."

"You mean you de-aged yourself and went back to school…willingly?"

"Yes," Sirius chuckled. "We went through every year and, even now, I can't believe how well it worked."

Harry blinked. "Then everything about Azkaban and Pettigrew and the Marauders…"

"From the time we entered Hogwarts, everything you've been told became reality. Only Albus and a few within the Order knew who we really were and that's why we were able to be so involved. We became really good friends with many people and your mother ended up falling in love with James. Eventually, she married him and had you."

A troubled look crossed the youth's face. "Did he ever know?"

Sirius shook his head, regretful still that it hadn't ever been brought to the light. "We wanted to tell everyone who and what we were but we all mutually agreed that with the war escalating, we simply couldn't afford anyone knowing anything until it was over. It wasn't until I escaped Azkaban that I finally told Remus but he had to know because, eventually, I knew you would find your way here."

Harry sighed. "So, you faked your own death so you could be here when I came."

The grim nodded. "Exactly."

Harry glared. "I still want to hit you."

Sirius scooted the chair a few feet away from the bed.

Rolling his eyes, Harry couldn't help the smile that tugged at his lips. "Very funny."

Chuckling, Sirius stood and embraced his godson tightly. "Just remember, Harry, you're not alone in this."

Closing his eyes, Harry tightened his own grip on the man. "I'm just glad you're back."

Both stayed this way for a while, both needing the reassurance and comfort.

Harry suddenly pulled away but didn't let go. "Uh…where exactly does your family fit into this?"

Sirius hesitated. "Well…"

… … …

… … …

Rudolphulus LeStrange was an extremely complicated and powerful man, his wealth and influence nearly matching the Malfoy family though he preferred not to abuse his power unless it was needed. The LeStrange patriarch wasn't really known for much, save for the fact that he'd married one Bellatrix Black.

His position within the inner circle of Voldemort's followers was sometimes a burden he'd give anything to be rid of; however, he kept himself distant and never really spoke up unless asked something directly…until recently, that is. A few months ago, he had made a decision and this decision required him to pay more attention to not only his mentally unstable wife but also the Dark Lord and all he surrounded himself with.

Though his stoic expression gave nothing of his thoughts away, his eyes held disgust as he watched his wife fawn over the snake-like creature.

During his time in Puther, he had loved her deeply and, being young and naïve, thought he loved her enough for the both of them to have a somewhat happy life. The Black family was ecstatic when he proposed in Neforia's grand hall and Bella accepted, the two of them marrying immediately after graduation to begin their lives together.

It had been a mistake.

He would freely admit that much if only to himself although the small part of his youth that survived these troubling decades longed to find a way to bring her back even as his heart dwelled on another. He knew it was hopeless. No one could ever bring his Bella back, for she was never entirely there to begin with.

The only positive thing in his marriage these days was that Bella unknowingly kept the spotlight off him but, like all things, this came at a price. He would never voice anything in protest. Regardless of what she did, no matter how crude she was with that damned snake, he forced himself to never react or interfere.

Because of this, he was able to observe and listen to everything around him without suspicion.

"Husband."

His eyes rose to meet her half-crazed gaze. "Yes, my darling?"

Bellatrix grinned, sauntering over to him and raising her hand to lie on his chest. "Shall we retire for the night?"

He raised an eyebrow. "What of your duty to the Dark Lord?"

A frown marred her brow. "I miss my husband."

"When this foolish war is done, we shall be happy again," he reassured, brushing his lips against her forehead.

The words, though their meaning was entirely different to him, seemed to satisfy her as she leaned in, giving him a lingering kiss. Not at all deterred by his lack of response to this, she smiled once more before returning to the snake's side.

Indeed, Rudolphulus LeStrange would play this part well.

* * *

**End of Part IV**

And…done! ^_^ I hope you guys enjoyed. Now only one more part to re-write before an official update. *readers die of shock* -_- Yes, I know, astounding, is it not?

Many thanks to my beta, silvers-edge, for catching all I've missed. ^_^


	5. Part V

Disclaimer – I do not own Harry Potter and am not making any kind of a profit from writing this story.

Summary – Following his 5th year at Hogwarts School, Harry Potter disappears from both the wizarding and muggle worlds without warning. What happens when he suddenly returns a changed man six years later? Eventually, this will be a Lucius Malfoy x Harry Potter pairing though it will be slow building.

Warnings – A major alternative universe storyline, slash, original characters, etc. Basically anything my very odd mind can come up with to make the story twist and turn the way I want it to.

/ Blah, blah, blah. / - Parseltongue.

'_Blah, blah, blah.'_ – Thoughts.

Without further ado, read, enjoy & review! ^_^

* * *

**Shadows to Shadows**

_by, Zaleone_

**Part V**

**

* * *

**

Already, it had been three days since he first woke up in the infirmary. Healer Leena was reluctant to release him until this morning, after Padfoot began to chew on her hair. Much to Harry's amusement, the healer retaliated and turned Sirius' fur into the hottest pink he'd ever seen in his entire life.

She then calmly turned to Harry, telling him he should have just asked if he wanted to leave.

Because he still wasn't in the greatest shape, Sirius insisted they find a place to relax on the grounds until the results of the blood tests were finished so they'd know exactly what he was. They'd been chatting for the last few hours, catching up and finally regaining a little of the time they'd been denied in the past.

Not surprisingly, most stories Sirius shared were of his parents.

Harry blinked, surprised. "My mother saved my father from a unicorn."

His godfather nodded with a grin.

"And this is how they first met."

"Well, that was the first time Lily acknowledged that he existed," he corrected.

The teenager shook his head. "What… Exactly how does one go about pissing off a unicorn? Aren't they supposed to be nice and loving?"

Sirius chuckled. "You're thinking of the thestrals, the unicorn's cousin. Unicorns themselves have very nasty tempers, especially when in the presence of arrogant humans. When they're angered, they're more comparable to a hippogriff."

Hyperion squawked at the man.

"Yes, like you." He glared at the beast. "Why did Daija let you get that thing again?"

The animal wasn't impressed, as it glared right back and Sirius would bet money that if Harry weren't lying against the big brute that he'd probably be missing a few fingers by now.

Harry rolled his eyes, continuing to stroke Hedwig's feathery head as she slept contently in his lap. "Hyperion isn't that bad, Sirius, he just doesn't like you. Besides, you're changing the subject."

Sirius shrugged, petting Onyx in a similar fashion

It seemed Harry had forgotten all about the two owls in all the chaos since he had come to Neforia, Hedwig having defended her territory and Onyx now sporting several scratches from the owl that was about half his size. Sakura had found the poor animal wedged under desk, terrified to come out lest the white howl hone in on him again.

"Well, anyway, James decided to show off and simply ran up to the unicorn when it turned away and jumped on its back." He laughed at the memory. "It wasn't even a second before he got thrown and the unicorn charged after him. Lily, ever the clever one, cast a sleeping charm on the animal and saved your father."

Once more, Harry should his head. "Damn."

Sirius nodded. "It was a hilarious sight and your father became so infatuated with her that he was borderline stalking the poor girl, hounding her until she finally agreed to a date."

Harry grinned. "I would've loved to see that."

"Remind me to ask Sakura for a pensieve," Sirius smiled. "I have quite a few memories you would enjoy."

His face lit up. "Really?"

"Harry."

Both Harry and Sirius looked up, seeing two figures standing over them. One was a nervous looking headmistress and the other was a rather severe looking man, tall with pale skin and hair with the large frame of a bodybuilder.

Idly, the teen wondered what kind of creature he was.

"Good afternoon," Sakura smiled though it seemed strained. "How are you feeling, dear?"

Harry smiled back. "Better," he answered.

The man cleared his throat, clearly impatient.

Sakura glared at him before turning her attention back to her newest student. "Harry, this is Rexan Silverblood. He will be the one to train you during your time here."

Harry bowed his head in greeting. "It's good to meet you, sir."

The man returned the nod but wasted no time on pleasantries. "Bring your animals and the mongrel and follow me."

This said, he promptly turned on his heel and walked away.

Sakura shook her head quickly at his confused look. "He's not kidding, Harry."

Sirius stood, his mood no longer pleasant. "Let's go. He's an impatient one."

Hyperion stood before Harry could manage on his own, lifting his head under the boy's arm to help him to his feet.

Harry thanked the animal with a pat on the head before they followed Silverblood.

When they finally managed to catch up, Rexan began speaking without as much as a pause in his step. "The reason you are being placed under my instruction is because your blood tests have revealed you to be mostly a wolf youkai though you will likely have a few vampiric traits as well. These will manifest within the next few weeks."

Harry blinked. "I'm two creatures? How is that possible?"

"You are what your magic has deemed you to be and it is not unnatural for students to take on characteristics of several creatures," he answered. "The fact that you have traits of a vampire has made you one of my students, regardless of what else lies within you. Your power will lie in your magical capability, your mind and the bloodlust that will develop in its own time. This is something you will learn to control under my instruction."

"Bloodlust?" he asked shakily.

"Simply a term, Potter. In truth, what most refer to as 'bloodlust' is nothing more than an instinct few can understand without possessing it themselves." When silence met his words, he glanced back a moment before turning his eyes forward again. "I'm taking you to your room that'll be your home for the entirety of your stay. You will clean yourself up, then I shall take you to the weapons master. Afterward, I will accompany you to receive your crest as well."

Sirius glared at the man's back. "He should have a few days to rest, Silverblood. The trials are taxing."

"You, Black, will never have my respect and, even if you did, you know students with an awakening bloodlust must be initiated quicker than others. Not even the boy's own mother would have a say in this matter if she were alive." Though the words made Harry flinch, the man's even tone did not shift. "I trust you'll remember the laws this academy flourishes under. This is not Jetton."

"Oh, I remember well," Sirius growled. "I wonder how many students have died under your charge since I left. Ten? Fifteen?"

Harry stopped cold, looking at Sirius in confusion.

Rexan paused, his back stiffening as he slowly turned to face the grim. "The only reason you remain in the company of your godson is because Neforia herself allowed you entrance. I will not go against this but should this academy ever reject you, I'll not hesitate to rip your heart out."

Sirius didn't back down. "Why wait, Rexan?" he challenged.

The man's nearly white eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Whoa! Wait just a minute," Harry demanded, standing between them. "What in the hell is this?"

Hyperion grunted at his charge's interference, knowing this child could not stop the two males if they wished to fight.

Rexan returned to his senses quickly, eyes clearing though they remained focused on his godfather. "I'll tolerate you, Black, for the sake of your godson's mental stability. You, however, will have to accept that this is an academy like any other. We do not coddle students here, no matter whom they may be elsewhere and I doubt your godson would appreciate the treatment if we did." He turned around, once more continuing down the hallway. "Now, do keep up."

Harry blinked, turning to Sirius. "When the trials are over, you better be ready to explain what just happened."

Sirius sheepishly followed as Harry followed Silverblood without a glance back at him. _'Damn it, Lily, why did your son have to inherit your eyes? …And that damn stubborn streak?'_

… … …

… … …

An hour later found Harry Potter staring into a foggy mirror, his eyes wide.

With only a simple towel around his waist, the changes in his body were blatant and rather surprising.

Physically, he retained his height; however, his body was leaner than it was before with lithe muscle along his frame. His hair, while still short and unruly, seemed to defy gravity even more now and several chunks of the raven locks had turned silver, reminding him of a modern take on Cruella De Vil. If it'd been longer, he was sure he could pull off a convincing bride of Frankenstein. Like his nails had become claws, his teeth had sharpened as well but only his canines had lengthened.

'_Probably a vampiric trait,'_ he thought, his mind replaying Rexan's earlier words.

His skin, as he noticed before, was a deeper bronze color and was even over his entire body. The lines on his arms he had discovered actually ran up and met his back in a very intricate design that covered most of his back with several glossy runes that ran down his spine. He was unsure what it meant but wasn't alarmed by it.

Last were his eyes, the change that disturbed him the most.

They had shifted to an even deeper emerald color with silver specks throughout the irises.

A swift knock at the door startled him, his head snapping to look at it.

"_Hurry it up, Potter,"_ Rexan's deep voiced boom, obviously irritated. _"We don't have all day."_

Harry sighed. "I'll be out in a few minutes," he called.

Ignoring the mirror from there on in, he turned to his clothes and quickly adorned the standard issue Neforian uniform Rexan had given to him that consisted of a pair of burgundy loose pants, a long-sleeved black shirt with a deep red jacket over it that had black trimming on the sleeves and neck as well as a white braid that hooked around his left bicep that signified his rank as a first year student. After buttoning the jacket that reached his waistline, he pulled on the black lace-up boots that reached his calves but chose to let his pants hang loose instead of tucking them in.

After running a quick hand through his drying hair, he walked out of the bathroom.

Sirius looked him over, nodding. "Vast improvement."

Rexan nodded as well but, as Harry expected, got straight to the matter at hand. "Only myself and your familiar are to accompany you, Potter. Your godfather will remain here, as well as your other…pets," he hesitated on this word, watching as Hedwig forced Onyx beneath a chair and proceeded to screech at him every time he moved.

"I'll try to do something about them while you're gone," Sirius offered, not at all comfortable in having to leave his godson alone with Silverblood.

Harry hesitated, glancing at his owls. "Don't get too close to Hedwig," he advised.

"You don't say." Sirius winced slightly when the snowy owl managed to nail Onyx right in the wing with a talon.

Rexan turned to the door. "Come along, Potter."

Harry took a deep breath before following the man into the hallway.

As he followed his new instructor, Harry crossed his arms and thought over the time he'd been here. In all honestly, he was a bit surprised at his own reactions to this place. Normally, he was much more hostile and tended to make random objects spontaneously explode in his unease. Ever since he'd come here though, it was like a calm had come over him. At first, he chalked it up to nerves and surprise but now…well, he was seriously questioning his own mind.

This in mind, he glanced up at the man ahead of him. "Sir, may I ask a question."

"Very well," Rexan allowed, as they had quite a walk ahead of them.

"Does this place have some sort of calming spell over it or something of the sort?"

Caught off guard, he paused and glanced at the boy. "Why?"

Harry hesitated at having his full attention but answered, "Ever since I got that letter, I…I haven't been acting like myself. I've been too calm. With everything that's been happening, my own reactions are surprising me."

"I am not aware of such a spell," Rexan answered after a few seconds, turning on his heel and continuing on but inwardly cursing his mate for putting his charm on the boy. _'Damn phoenixes,'_ he growled internally.

They continued on in silence.

Some minutes later, the stern man finally paused upon arriving at a large door. "This is Neforia's smithy. In the future, you will bring your weapon here to repair it until you learn how to do so yourself."

Silently, Harry nodded in understanding.

Questions that required long answers could wait until everything settled.

Rexan opened the door, walking in without pause and Harry followed.

The room itself was huge and open, the fact that it was a weapons forge obvious from the equipment.

A huge fire pit sat on the far wall, anvils lined up around it with hammers and whatnot hanging beside it as well as a long basin fill with water to no doubt cool the weapons. It was the wall on the right, however, that drew his attention. Weapons of all kinds hung on the wall proudly, almost cluttered in the sheer number.

"Wow," he muttered, his eyes trying to take them all in but only managing to flit from one to another.

"Indeed, my young wolf," a voice silken as velvet stated with a chuckle.

Snapping his head to the source, Harry flushed when he saw an elf staring right back at him.

His skin and features were fair, his hair the color of snow and his crimson eyes were focused solely on him. It was this feature that stood out, Harry never having heard of an elf with red eyes.

"Guilde," Rexan greeted. "Harry is need of a weapon."

Guilde nodded once, smiling at the nervous boy before abandoning the bow he'd been repairing. "Very well then. Harry," he beckoned him, "come over here, please."

With a nervous glance at Silverblood, Harry obeyed and crossed the room.

Taking a dagger from his hip, Guilde reached out with lightning speed and grabbed Harry's hand in an iron grip before the boy could even react and ran the sharpened blade along his palm just deep enough to coat the silver in blood.

Harry cried out at the sudden pain, snatching back his hand but the damage was already done. He held his hand, putting pressure on it to stop the blood. "What the hell was that for!"

Okay, so maybe his temper was just taking a nap.

"Relax, child. Your part is over." Guild held the blade out. "Behold."

Harry watched as the blade began to shimmer a bright silver that soon bled into the deepest of scarlet. Slowly, the light left the dagger and came to rest a few feet in front of him. It shifted chaotically between the two colors, moving much like a boggart changing shape. It took various forms but they only last milliseconds before it finally calmed and began to take shape, elongating in a graceful arc.

The strange light flashed briefly before fading, a Japanese katana in its place hovering in mid-air.

The surface of its black sheath reflected brightly in the dim light, a white lily taking shape on it beneath a howling wolf.

Harry stared. _'It's beautiful.'_

Not consciously aware of what he was doing, he reached out and gripped the weapon tightly before the magical trance also faded and he found himself holing it in his right hand. Ignorant of the surprised looks he was receiving, he slowly wrapped his fingers around the hilt and drew the blade with an almost musical tone. The metal sung joyfully, almost like the blade was happy to be drawn. Its silver edge stood out sharply against the dark hilt, its edge sharpened perfectly.

When his eyes caught sight of the engraving, he focused on it and held it up to the light to read.

'_My gift to you, my son. May you find your true path in life.' – Lily_

Harry stared at the words, his breath hitching. _'…Mom?'_

In response to this, the blade pulsed strongly in his grasp with unseen magic.

Rexan reigned in his surprise at seeing the familiar weapon in the boy's grasp. "The blade's name is Aikaya," he offered.

"This was my mother's." Harry finally looked away from the blade, his eyes on Rexan. "Wasn't it?"

He nodded. "It was, yes, but it seems to have chosen to serve you as well."

Guilde smiled, his face brightening at seeing one of the best pieces he'd ever crafted return to this realm. He wouldn't ruin the moment though; he would have time to examine the blade in the next several years. Turning around, he returned to the painstaking task of trying to repair the broken bow that belonged to Silverblood's daughter.

Waiting until the boy sheathed the blade, Rexan once more beckoned, "Come along, Potter."

Though a bit more sluggish with his mind centered on this new development, Harry numbly followed the man.

Rexan glanced over his shoulder to assess the boy, frowning when he his concentration elsewhere than the task ahead. He did understand and come to a decision, hoping it wouldn't get around. "I don't do this often, Potter, but I believe you could use a break. We shall hold off retrieving your crest until tomorrow morning."

Harry nodded. "Thank you, sir."

Barely holding back a snort, the man led his newest student back to his room.

* * *

**End of Part V**

And the rewrite is officially done. Now to work on an update. ^_^ I hope you all have enjoyed it to this point and many thanks to my beta, silvers-edge, for not only catching what I miss but also inspiring the uniform.

Don't forget to review and tell me what ya'll think!


	6. Part VI

Disclaimer – I do not own Harry Potter and am not making any kind of a profit from writing this story.

Summary – Following his 5th year at Hogwarts School, Harry Potter disappears from both the wizarding and muggle worlds without warning. What happens when he suddenly returns a changed man six years later? Eventually, this will be a Lucius Malfoy x Harry Potter pairing though it will be slow building.

Warnings – A major alternative universe storyline, slash, original characters, etc. Basically anything my very odd mind can come up with to make the story twist and turn the way I want it to.

And I'm officially back on track with this story! Woot! Many thanks to my beta, silvers-edge, for helping with the rewrite of it and catching all I've missed. To my reviewers – I LOVE YOU ALL!

/ Blah, blah, blah. / - Parseltongue.

'_Blah, blah, blah.'_ – Thoughts.

Without further ado, read, enjoy & review! ^_^

* * *

**Shadows to Shadows**

_by, Zaleone_

**Part VI**

**

* * *

**

| **Four Years Later** |

Blood seeped through his fingers as he held his side, his breathing ragged from the wound as he met his opponent's eyes. Behind him, Hyperion squawked and growled, pacing as he waited for the next round where the beast was no doubt determined to gouge the man's eyes out.

Across from him, maybe ten or twelve feet, was a man that dwarfed him in size but was far faster than he looked. His face was no pleasant sight and Harry had to wonder if he was part rhinoceros with that nose.

'_Focus,'_ he told himself, Aikaya's gleaming blade grasped in his left hand. The blade, unfortunately, had yet to be stained in this fight even as his blood was splattered across the ring. _'He has a weakness. Find it.'_

When the man suddenly smirked, he bared his own fangs and with a growl charged the hulk of a creature.

Hyperion let out his own battle cry and shot into the sky, twisting around gracefully before folding his wings in and shooting towards the earth like a rocket. Before he could attack, however, a large feline jumped and latched onto the hippogriff, successfully diverting the attack from its master.

Dodging the animals, Harry turned on his heel and collided with the brute again.

As before, the axe was swung at him with all the skill of a Neanderthal, though the speed made up for his apparent lack of skill, and Harry found himself parrying and dodging as he had before. This time he did not even attempt to return the attacks, his eyes on the man's aggressive form as he was assaulted.

His eyes widened marginally when he spotted it. _'There.'_

Immediately falling to his knee, he braced himself and held Aikaya high just as the axe was swung at his head and blocked the blow. The brute strength behind the attack would outlast his stamina easily; however, Harry had no intention of waiting that long. With a simple thought, years of practice lent him the ability to force his magic into his own body and, with this sudden surge of adrenaline; he knocked the axe away and swiftly ducked as he spun around. The axe missed his head by centimeters and, not a second later, he had spun again and the blade sliced through his opponent's calves like warm butter.

The man fell to the ground immediately, the axe clattering uselessly beside him.

Breathing harshly, Harry was back on his feet quickly and touched Aikaya's blade to the man's throat. "Do you yield," he asked, ready to knock him unconscious should he prove to be stubborn.

Without hesitation, he nodded. "Y…Yes."

"And that, ladies and gentlemen, concludes this match with Harrison Black as the victor. This brings Neforia's overall score to three-hundred and seventy-nine while Jetton remains at their consistent, non-moving score of three-hundred and twenty."

Harry glanced up at the ever cheerful Daija who was absolutely glowing in his new job as an announcer in the games, though how he managed to talk the Headmistress into it he would never know. Shaking his head with a tired grin and a fond thought to Lee Jordon, he made his way to Neforia's medic tent as Jetton's own healers saw to his opponent's injuries.

"Have a seat, Black," she ordered, a knowing look on her face as she hobbled in. "Let me have a look at you."

Doing as she said, Harry shed his ruined shirt and voiced no complaints as the panther poked and prodded at him.

The now nineteen-year-old had changed much in the last four years, most changes being subtle, though easily apparent simply in how he carried himself. He finally had a healthy glow about him, regular meals and exercise having aided in this, and he even managed to grow into a respectable 5'8 in height. His hair was wild, as always, but cut short thought it still stuck up at all angels and generally made a nuisance of itself.

After slathering a thick paste onto the wound, Leena bandaged it and offered him a smile. "Take it easy for a day or so; don't strain it and you should be back to par in a day or two. But before you go," she handed him a goblet, "drink up."

His nose twitched at the scent and he gave the healer a grateful smile as he took it, swallowing the crimson liquid in two gulps. Already, he could feel the pain ebbing away and he closed his eyes a moment as the blood worked its magic on his system. Though not nearly enough to sustain the high, Harry enjoyed the rare feeling while it lasted.

Neforia regulated human blood to students with vampiric traits, never starving them so they would become a danger, but never allowing them to be overfilled else the bloodlust would become insatiable.

Passing the goblet back, he offered her a grateful smile. "Thanks."

Grabbing his ruined shirt, he left the tent and headed back towards the academy to dress for the festival tonight.

This tournament, the likes of which was held every five years according to Puther's time, was called the Blood Thorn Tournament. Neforia and Jetton clashed, facing off as all students participated in the competition in one form or another. The categories were many and varied, showcasing multiple talents and giving each and every student the chance to represent their academy and be proud of what they had learned.

Even during these competitions, Harry had only been looking forward to a single thing…the festival.

Puther held a festival midway through the tournament that called for all hostilities and competitions to be neutralized for a night of fun and enjoyment. Not only did the academies come together during this festival, but it had been announced that Krystoff would be attending as well as his sister oracle, Sparare, of the south.

Harry hoped to meet her tonight.

Adorning the customary dress uniform that was black in place of the usual burgundy with gold trimming, he cleaned himself up to the best of his abilities in order to look presentable. As he stared at his reflection, his eyes drifted to the crest around his neck and, not for the first time, his mind attempted to recall the memory of acquiring it.

But, like always, there was only a hazy fog where he could feel the memories lied.

Something blocked these memories but despite all efforts, they remained out of his reach.

The crest itself was made of the deepest black metal he had seen and had yet to be fully identified. Only one of the three runes that adorned it was recognizable, and it was the Sumerian rune for 'fire' that had been carved into the metal with silver.

The irony of it was Harry's true abilities had yet to fully manifest, according to Silverblood and the Headmistress. His skill with Aikaya and other various subjects like enchanting and potions were perfected by long hours of training and dedication. So far, he could only manipulate his magic in the most basic of forms and even this was chaotic at the best of times and required a lot of concentration. Even then, it was about as powerful as a well aimed stupefy. Often, it was only cleverness on his part that it came in handy.

Shaking his head to rid himself of this all too familiar train of thought, Harry laced up his boots before strapping his wand to his right wrist, more out of habit than anything, and began heading towards the festival.

… … …

… … …

"_Avada Kedarva!"_

Tonks ducked instinctively at the call, her momentum aiding her as she slid behind one of the larger stone's that made up the archway of the veil. The irony that she was back _here_ fighting again was not lost on her; however, her mind was focused on the fight and the determination to not lose anyone in this scuffle.

Voldemort had targeted the veil, though for what reason, no one knew. All she, Kingsley, and Hermione knew was that they couldn't allow the Death Eaters near it. So here they were while Snape was trying to track down what little remained of the Order for backup.

Black smoke caught her eye and she barely had time to dodge as Bellatrix appeared not four feet from her and flung another jet green spell at her.

The metamorphmagus spun on her heel as she ran back into the open, immediately firing spell after spell at her aunt who skillfully deflected and countered each. Across from her, Hermione and Kingsley dealt with the lower ranking minions they discovered were little more than cannon fodder as Bellatrix barely spared them a glance.

"Filthy half-blood, get out of my way!" the woman yelled, her speed picking up as her rage fueled her adrenaline.

Tonks was forced on the defensive, barely able to deflect let alone retaliate as the woman fired endless spells at her. It was several minutes of this, her breath becoming labored as she held the insane woman off, before an idea struck her. With a determined look, she deflected yet another spell before using a stinging hex to force the woman black before aiming a blasting spell at the ceiling. She immediately ran for cover, calling out a warning to her companions as a good chunk of the stone ceiling fell.

It was horrifying when painful screams echoed through the large room. Tonks closed her eyes with guilt but not regret as she turned and tried to see through the thick cloud of dust.

As it cleared, she could see Bellatrix breathing heavily and noticed her leg was pinned beneath a particularly large piece of debris. Somehow, this didn't faze her for long as she turned to a shadowed corner and glared. "What are you waiting for! Go!" she practically screamed.

Tonks' blinked when she caught movement in the corner, instinct overriding common sense as she immediately ran to intercept the robed figure who had made a mad dash for the veil.

Her breath was taken away when what felt like a brick wall hit her, her ribs giving in to the blow as her body was flung into the air like a rag doll. She felt herself hit a wall but her mind wasn't focused on that as the last coherent though she would remember having was who could be crazy enough to run _into_ the veil.

… … …

… … …

Harry sighed, rubbing his hands together impatiently as he waited for the elementals to eventually wander towards him, though he could swear he caught Krystoff looking at him every so often with that all too familiar smirk. _'The bastard knows,'_ he thought, not amused. _'He's just making it more difficult.'_

A hand was suddenly placed on his forearm, the scent of rain accompanying it with the peaceful image of a large fire burning in the hearth in his room.

He gave his friend a small, sincere smile and placed his hand over hers to convey his gratitude. "Thanks, Dax."

She echoed the smile, taking her hand away.

Daxeony, or 'Dax' as he dubbed her, was a calming presence, her abilities lying in the power to make others feel at peace with emotions, images or even a familiar scent. She was an empath, the daughter of Rexan and Daija Silverblood, and while she could not speak, she communicated well with her gift.

"Harrison Black, I presume?"

The strong, confident voice wasn't familiar and he glanced up only to blink at the sight of the southern oracle, Sparare, standing before him. Her skin was tanned; her hair a fiery red with wings similar to Krystoff's coal black, a spear held in her left hand with a blade he knew had to be a splinter from Hyperion. Scarlet eyes stared right back at him knowingly, but not unkindly, and Harry was snapped back into reality at her chuckle.

Emerald eyes snapped to his friend but Dax simply smiled at him before silently standing up and taking her leave.

'_How long did she…?'_ he blinked, confused.

"I am Sparare," she introduced herself, successfully gaining his attention again. "I believe you wanted to see me."

Remembering himself, Harry stuttered a bit but stood and bowed his head slightly to the oracle before nodding once. "I was hoping you could tell me what this means," he said, holding up his crest for her inspection. "I only know one of the runes," he continued, pointing at it.

"Fire," she said before he was able to, the sudden seriousness unexpected as she took the crest between her claws.

Apparently this sudden change was not expected as Krystoff stepped closer, looking concerned. "Sister?"

Sparare's eyes were focused solely on the crest as she asked, "What memory do you have of this? What did you see in retrieving it?" Though her voice remained gentle, there was a certain tone to it that made it all too clear she would not accept anything less than an honest answer.

Harry blinked but shook his head. "I don't remember-"

"Think," she told him, cutting him off as her eyes snapped up to meet his. "You _must_ remember something."

He thought back again, trying to recall anything about the final task but his face showed it when he could remember nothing but the fog that hid his memories.

Sparare shook her head. "I must see. I am sorry."

This was her warning, Harry barely catching the sudden movement of her hand and Krystoff's sudden alarmed expression before it felt as if his head was on fire and he felt himself scream at the sudden pain.

Images…flashes of memory assaulted his eyes and he couldn't help the instinctive struggle against the foreign mind invading his own.

"Do not fight," she told him. "Let me see."

Memories of a flying motorcycle, of the Dursley family, his first time stepping into the Great Hall, the basilisk, Cedric dying, Sirius falling, the first time he looked at Neforia…all of it flew by in mere seconds. Suddenly, all that was left was darkness and Harry was dreading what the oracle might find.

Slowly, a white mist became apparent in his mind's eye that moved and swished in all directions. Though innocent enough, Harry felt nothing but fear as he looked upon it and, somehow, he _knew_ it was alive.

"_By what right do you come here, wizard?"_

"_You will not leave this room alive."_

"_Weakling, how dare you think to stand against us!"_

The voices, each of them different, were like nails on a chalkboard. They hurt his ears just by speaking and he felt himself scream again but what followed was a language uttered in a deep, guttural voice that he didn't recognize. When it seemed to finish speaking, the pain suddenly stopped and he breathed in raggedly, immediately going to his knees from the aftershock of the sudden invasion.

Sparare stared at the child before her, her hand shaking.

Hyperion who had until then been asleep at his charge's side, now stood over the young man and snapped at the elemental's outstretched hand. Sparare barely managed to pull it back in time but her attention was on what she had heard, not the overprotective hippogriff trying to flay her alive with his eyes.

"What is it," Krystoff demanded, eyeing the youth but making no move towards him yet.

She glanced back at her brother, her eyes suddenly clearing but instead of answering him she waved her spear and sent the hippogriff flying before kneeling by the boy. "I'm so sorry, young one," she whispered, placing a hand on his head as she tried to repair some of the damage she had inflicted in her haste.

The aftershocks of pain and the pounding in his head receded enough that Harry was able to focus on her, frowning when he saw the look in her eyes. "W…what did-"

"Shh," she whispered. "Listen. I understand now. You have to listen, do you understand?"

He shook his head.

"When the time comes, just listen," she said, her voice serious. "Don't be afraid of it."

Before he could ask what she meant, she had taken Aikaya from its sheath on his back and put it against her spear. Both weapons glowed brightly before the spear began to shift and slowly melded with his katana.

"What are you doing," he yelled at her, panicked that he would lose Aikaya.

"Your mother's blessing remains," Sparare said, returning the now pulsating sword to him. "Heed my words. You _must_ listen, Harry. You can't be afraid of it."

Harry could do little else but nod at her pleading look, confused and a little afraid at the oracle who seemed so confident only minutes before. "I…I'll listen," he promised.

She nodded and carded a gentle hand through his hair. "You have a wonderful future ahead of you, Harry."

This terrified him but he didn't have time to think on what she said before he felt something wet suddenly hit his face and he stared at the steel gray blade that had missed his own face by mere centimeters. Horrified, he looked up only to see blood drip from Sparare's mouth before her body slumped over him. Before he could truly comprehend this, he saw a dark, robed figure standing twenty feet from them with a bow drawn. Looking down, he saw the arrow sticking from her back and like an explosion within him, he reacted.

Before he could consciously keep up with his own movements, he was on the creature and trading blows. _'He's a vampire,'_ his mind supplied, the sickly sweet scent of the creature's venom invading his senses.

Instinctively knowing where to strike the vampire, he held out his hand and Aikaya flew into his waiting grasp and he barely registered the flames on the blade before he sunk it into the vampire's heart. From his studies, he knew this would not kill him but it would paralyze him. With a sickening squelching sound, he removed the blade and watched the vampire's body crumble to the ground though fierce crimson eyes glared at him defiantly.

Harry blinked as he felt his body start to shake. _'What…what's wrong with me?'_ The katana clattered to the ground as he started feeling lightheaded, a cold sweat breaking out on his skin. _'I don't feel right.'_

The sudden, weightless feeling of falling registered but something stopped him before he hit the ground though he was unconscious before he could register Krystoff's concern.

* * *

**End of Part VI**

And there is the long awaited update. ^_^ Hope you all enjoyed and I promise, this won't happen again. I am bound and determined to finish this thing. Many thanks to my beta, silvers-edge, for helping me and catching what I missed.

Tell me what ya'll thought. ^_^ Next update coming soon.


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